International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations
The International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA), is the international professional organisation that unites and represents the world's serving Shipmasters.
| Abbreviation | IFSMA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1974 |
| Type | International Professional Organisation |
| Purpose | To be the Serving Shipmasters' International Voice |
| Headquarters | Borough Road London, SE1 United Kingdom |
Region served | Global |
Membership | 16,000 Shipmasters (2015) |
Official language | English |
Secretary General | Commodore Jim Scorer |
President | Captain Hans Sande |
Main organ | General Assembly |
| Affiliations | International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization |
| Website | www |
The IFSMA is primarily concerned with representing the interests of the serving Shipmasters in bodies such as the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and other relevant, international and national organisations.
The purpose of IFSMA is to bring the Shipmasters' views on matters of marine safety, maritime security and protection of the marine environment to recognition at the required level and, at the same time, to forge a more exclusive and professional status for Shipmasters, one based upon their professional responsibility toward both shipowners and society.
The IFSMA is concerned about both international standards of professional competence for seafarers and international standards on conditions of work for seafarers.
The IFSMA is a federation with a policy to ensure safe operational practices, to prevent human injury, to protect the marine environment and to ensure the safety of life and property at sea.
The IFSMA headquarters are located in London, United Kingdom.
About IFSMA
History
IFSMA was formed by eight National Shipmasters' Associations and formally constituted on 1 January 1974, in Rotterdam[1] with the aim to unite the world's serving Shipmasters into a single non-profit making international professional organisation.[2]
The IFSMA office was moved to London in 1983 for close proximity to the London headquarters of the United Nations (UN) International Maritime Organization (IMO) at which IFSMA had been granted consultative status in 1975, only one year after IFSMAs inauguration. This consultative status as a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) enables IFSMA to represent the views and protect the interests of the serving Shipmasters unfettered and unfiltered either by national governments or by shipping companies.
In February 1993, IFSMA was placed on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Special List of Non-Governmental International Organisations.
In the beginning of 2011, IFSMA started the MasterMarinerBenefitProgram™ a specialized benefit program for all serving Shipmasters, who are either a member of one of the IFSMA Member Associations or an IFSMA Individual Member.
In 2014, over 16,000 Shipmasters from almost 60 different countries are affiliated to IFSMA, either through their National Associations or as Individual Members.
IFSMA Founding Associations
IFSMA, the International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations was founded in 1974 by the following eight National Shipmasters' Associations:[3]
- Association Nationale des Officiers et Marine du Commerce, Le Maillon, Paris, France
- Collegio Nazionale Patentati Capitani L.C. e D.M., Genova, Italy
- The Irish Institute of Master Mariners, Dublin, Ireland
- Koninklijk Belgisch Zeemannscollege, Antwerp, Belgium
- Nederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Norges Skibsforerforbund, Oslo, Norway
- The Society of Master Mariners South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
- Verband Deutscher Kapitäne und Schiffsoffiziere, Hamburg, Germany
Presidents
| President | Period | Country of Origin [4] |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Ragnar Grønsand | 1974 - 1986 |  Norway |
| Captain Gerhard Goldberg | 1986 - 1994 |  Germany |
| Captain Hiroshi Kawashima | 1994 - 1998 |  Japan |
| Captain Christer Lindvall | 1998 - 2014 |  Sweden |
| Captain Hans Sande | 2014–Present | Norway |
Secretaries General
| Secretary General | Period | Country of Origin [5] |
|---|---|---|
| Captain F. P. A. Jamin | 01/1974 - 04/1974 |  Netherlands |
| Captain Walter B. Vickers, CBE | 04/1974 - 11/1974 |  United Kingdom |
| Commodore William E. Warwick, CBE | 11/1974 - 11/1975 | United Kingdom |
| Commander Basil D. H. Thomson | 11/1975 - 07/1976 | United Kingdom |
| Captain Nic W. C. Rutherford | 1981 - 1991 | United Kingdom |
| Captain David S. P. Moore | 1991 - 1993 | United Kingdom |
| Captain Roger Clipsham | 1993 - 2001 | United Kingdom |
| Captain Rodger M. MacDonald | 2001 - 2012 | United Kingdom |
| Captain John W. Dickie | 2012 - 2015 | United Kingdom |
| Captain Paul R. Owen (acting) | 2015 - 2016 | United Kingdom |
| Commodore Jim Scorer | 2016–present | United Kingdom |
IFSMA Senior Officer Legal Insurance Cover
Senior Officer Legal Insurance
| Website | www |
|---|
The policy of insurance shall be for the benefit of the nominated Ship Master and Chief Engineer and deemed thereafter to be the assured and shall remain in force throughout the currency of the policy whilst the assured is performing his or her duties as a Ship Master/Chief Engineer whilst officially assigned to a vessel.
The Senior Officer Legal Insurance is fully backed by the well known and leading international marine insurance market Lloyd‘s of London
Senior Officer Legal Insurance provides for:
- Full coverage for defence and legal costs in criminal and civil proceedings up to EUR 1,000,000 or its equivalent
- Loss of Income
- Civil Liability and Defence
The above list is not exhaustive and the full policy conditions should be consulted before taking advantage of the IFSMA Senior Officer Legal Insurance Cover.
Membership
Member Associations
| Country | Association | Acronym | Joint |
|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina | Centro de Capitanes de Ultramar y Oficiales de la Marina Mercante | CCUMM | 1980 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia | Company of Master Mariners of Australia | CMMA | 2009 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Belgium | Koninklijk Belgisch Zeemanscollege | KBZ | 1974 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada | Company of Master Mariners of Canada | CMMC | 2007 |
 Chile | Capitanes de Alta Mar de la Marina Mercante Nacional | NAUTILUS | 2006 |
 Denmark | Danish Maritime Officers | DMO | 1984 |
 Faroe Islands | Føroya Skipara- og Navigatørfelag | FSN | 2008 |
 Finland | Finish Ships Officers Union | FSOU | 1996 |
 France | Association des Capitaines et Officiers de la Marine Marchande | ACOMM | 1975 |
| France | Association Francaise des Capitaines de Navires | AFCAN | 1979 |
| Germany | Verband Deutscher Kapitäne und Schiffsoffiziere | VDKS | 1974 |
 Hong Kong | Anglo Eastern Ship Management | AESM | 1999 |
 Indonesia | Indonesian Merchant Marine Officers' Association | IMMOA | 2016 |
 Ireland | Irish Institute of Master Mariners | IIMM | 1974 |
| Japan | Japan Captains Association | JCA | 2008 |
 Latvia | Latvian Shipmasters' Association | LSMA | 2004 |
| Netherlands | Nautilus International | NAUTILUS NL | 2006 |
| Netherlands | Nederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij | NVKK | 1974 |
| Norway | Norwegian Maritime Officers Association | NMOA | 1974 |
 Pakistan | Master Mariners Society of Pakistan | MMSP | 2010 |
 Philippines | Associated Marine Officers' and Seamen's Union of the Philippines | AMOSUP | 2006 |
| Philippines | Society of Filipino Ship Captains | FILSCAPTS | 2010 |
 Russia | Far Eastern Seamasters' Association | FESMA | 1990 |
 Singapore | Singapore Maritime Officers' Union | SMOU | 2012 |
 Spain | Asociacion Vizcaina de Capitanes de la Marina Mercante | AVCMM | 1976 |
| Sweden | Maritime Officers`Association | MOA | 1985 |
 Turkey | Turkish Overseas Captains' Association | TOCA | 2013 |
 Ukraine | Odessa Shipmasters' Association | OSMA | 1989 |
| United Kingdom | Nautilus International | NAUTILUS UK | 2006 |
 United States of America | Council of American Master Mariners | CAMM | 1992 |
| United States of America |
International Organisation of Masters Mates and Pilots | IOMMP | 2020 |
Honorary Members
| Name | Country of Origin | Position | Elected | † |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Willem F. J. Mörzer Bruyns, Sr. | Netherlands | First Vice President, IFSMA | 1982 | 1996 |
| H.E. Dr. Chandrika Prasad Srivastava, KCMG |  India | Secretary-General Emeritus, The International Maritime Organization | 1985 | 2013 |
| Commodore William E. Warwick, CBE | United Kingdom | Secretary General (retired), IFSMA | 1992 | 1999 |
| Captain Nic W. C. Rutherford | United Kingdom | Secretary General (retired), IFSMA | 1992 | 2012 |
| H.E. Mr. William A. O'Neil, CMG, CM | Canada | Secretary-General Emeritus, The International Maritime Organization | 1993 | 2022 |
| Captain Henrik Sem | Norway | IFSMA Representative to IMO | 1993 | 2008 |
| Captain Gerhard Goldberg | Germany | President Emeritus, IFSMA | 1995 | 2007 |
| Captain Genji Yoshinaga | Japan | Former Liaison Officer of JCA to IFSMA | 1997 | 2014 |
| Captain Anna I. Schetinina | Russia | World's first Female Shipmaster in the Merchant Navy | 1998 | 1999 |
| Captain Hiroshi Kawashima | Japan | President Emeritus, IFSMA | 1998 | 2012 |
| Captain Roger Clipsham | United Kingdom | Secretary General (retired), IFSMA | 2002 | 2014 |
| H.E. Admiral Efthimios E. Mitropoulos |  Greece | Secretary-General Emeritus, The International Maritime Organization | 2004 | |
| Mr. C. Julian Parker, OBE | United Kingdom | Inaugural Secretary (retired), The Nautical Institute | 2009 | |
| Mr. Michael Grey, MBE | United Kingdom | Editor (retired), Lloyd's List | 2009 | |
| H.E. Mr. Koji Sekimizu | Japan | Secretary-General Emeritus, The International Maritime Organization | 2012 | |
| Captain Rodger M. MacDonald | United Kingdom | Secretary General (retired), IFSMA | 2012 | |
| Captain Christer Lindvall | Sweden | President Emeritus, IFSMA | 2014 | |
| Captain Bjorn Haave | Norway | IFSMA Representative to IMO | 2014 | |
| H.E. Mr. Kitack Lim | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Korea | Secretary-General, The International Maritime Organization | 2018 | |
| Captain Koichi Akatsuka | Japan | Vice President, IFSMA | 2019 |
See also
External links
International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations
IFSMA Member Associations
- Website of CCUOMM, the IFSMA Member Association from Argentina
- Website of CMMA, the IFSMA Member Association from Australia
- Website of KBZ, the IFSMA Member Association from Belgium
- Website of SINDMAR, the IFSMA Member Association from Brazil
- Website of BSMA, the IFSMA Member Association from Bulgaria
- Website of CMMC, the IFSMA Member Association from Canada
- Website of NAUTILUS, the IFSMA Member Association from Chile
- Website of DMO, the IFSMA Member Association from Denmark
- Website of FSN, the IFSMA Member Association from the Faroe Islands
- Website of FSOU, the IFSMA Member Association from Finland
- Website of ACOMM, the IFSMA Member Association from France
- Website of AFCAN, the IFSMA Member Association from France
- Website of VDKS, the IFSMA Member Association from Germany
- Website of AESM, the IFSMA Member Association from Hong Kong
- Website of CMMI, the IFSMA Member Association from India
- Website of IIMM, the IFSMA Member Association from Ireland
- Website of JCA, the IFSMA Member Association from Japan
- Website of LSMA, the IFSMA Member Association from Latvia
- Website of NAUTILUS NL, the IFSMA Member Association from the Netherlands
- Website of NVKK, the IFSMA Member Association from the Netherlands
- Website of NAMM, the IFSMA Member Association from Nigeria
- Website of NMOA, the IFSMA Member Association from Norway
- Website of MMSP, the IFSMA Member Association from Pakistan
- Website of AMOSUP, the IFSMA Member Association from the Philippines
- Website of FILSCAPTS, the IFSMA Member Association from the Philippines
- Website of FESMA, the IFSMA Member Association from Russia
- Website of MSMA, the IFSMA Member Association from Russia
- Website of SMOU, the IFSMA Member Association from Singapore
- Website of SOMMSA, the IFSMA Member Association from South Africa
- Website of AVCMM, the IFSMA Member Association from Spain
- Website of MOA, the IFSMA Member Association from Sweden
- Website of TOCA, the IFSMA Member Association from Turkey
- Website of OSMA, the IFSMA Member Association from Ukraine
- Website of NAUTILUS UK, the IFSMA Member Association from the United Kingdom
- Website of CAMM, the IFSMA Member Association from the United States of America
- Website of IOMMP the IFSMA Member Association from the United States of America
Other Relevant Organisations
- Website of BIMCO, the Baltic and International Maritime Council
- Website of CESMA, the Confederation of European Shipmasters' Associations
- Website of EMSA, the European Maritime Safety Agency
- Website of IACS, the International Association of Classification Societies
- Website of IALA, the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities
- Website of ICS/ISF, the International Chamber of Shipping/International Shipping Federation
- Website of ILO, the International Labour Office
- Website of IMarEST, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology
- Website of IMO, the International Maritime Organization
- Website of IMPA, the International Maritime Pilots' Association
- Website of INTERMANAGER, the InterManager
- Website of ISAN, the International Seafarers Assistance Network
- Website of ITLOS, the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea
- Website of ITF, the International Transport Workers' Federation
- Website of MPHRP, Maritime Piracy - Humanitarian Response
- Website of SRI, Seafarers' Rights International
- Website of UN, the United Nations
References
- Rutherford, N. W. (1988). "The International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations". IALA Bulletin. 1988 (4).
- "International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations". Digital Ship and Inmarsat. Archived from the original on 2007-12-16. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
The IFSMA is a non-profit making organisation that was formed from the merger of several shipmasters' associations in 1974. It has strong links with the IMO and purposes to uphold international competency standards to ensure safety of life at sea.
- IFSMA 37th AGA Proceedings - PART A. 2011.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - Clipsham, Roger (1999). Long, Kenneth A. (ed.). International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations - A Commemorative Publication. pp. 11–16.
- Clipsham, Roger (1999). Long, Kenneth A. (ed.). International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations - A Commemorative Publication. pp. 11–16.