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.

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.

History
IFSMA was formed by eight National Shipmasters' Associations and formally constituted on 1 January 1974, in Rotterdam with the aim to unite the world's serving Shipmasters into a single non-profit making international professional organisation.

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:
 * 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

Senior Officer Legal Insurance
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: 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.
 * 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

International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations

 * IFSMA's Website
 * IFSMA's SeaMansWeb.net

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