Unity for Safety at Sea. Uniting Shipmasters Worldwide.
IFSMA unites Shipmasters around the world to strengthen safety, professionalism, and leadership at sea. Working within the International Maritime Organization (IMO), we advocate for safer shipping and a stronger voice for Shipmasters everywhere.
Highlights
A call from Shipmasters: Global Threats, Trends and Risks to the Shipping Industry and it’s Seafarers
An open letter to all governments, international organizations and the maritime industry.
Highlights
The Master’s Practical Guide to Maritime Law
The Master’s Practical Guide to Maritime Law is a comprehensive, easy-to-follow resource that helps Masters understand and manage legal issues on board, bridging the gap between theory and real-world practice.
Buy the Guide (Visit external site. Link opens in a new tab.)
Highlights
Best Management Practices
Best Management Practices (BMP) Maritime Security (MS) consolidates previously published regional BMP documents into a single, comprehensive publication.
News & Initiatives
Latest Maritime News and Initiatives
S-100 E-Navigation
S-100 products for e-navigation; Black and Caspian Seas States explore Maritime officials from Black Sea and Caspian Seas States have completed the first…
Singapore TSIB Report Highlights Crew Fatigue in Fatal Collision.
Occurrence Overview On 19 July 2024 at about 0602H, a collision occurred in the South China Sea, east of Malaysia, between the Singapore-registered…
Somali piracy surge: Update and guidance
Piracy activity off Somalia has re-emerged since late October 2025, with coordinated pirate action groups operating far offshore in the Somali Basin and…
Sailors’ Society and ITF Seafarers’ Trust are now reshaping maritime training in Africa
Sailors’ Society is announcing a second partnership with the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, rolling out its highly successful Wellness at Sea training for…
Enclosed space fatalities aboard ships for the period 2000 to 2024
This document provides an updated summary of research carried out into all reported enclosed space related fatalities across all ship types for the 25-year…
34th biennial Assembly
International Maritime Organization’s (IMOs) 34th biennial Assembly started last week and finishes on Wednesday 3rd December 2025. The delegations send their…
Don’t mention the oil
By Michael Grey, IFSMA Honorary Member As tens of thousands of weary delegates stagger off their righteously offset intercontinental flights, leaving the…
Criminalisation of seafarers
Seafarer Criminalisation occurs when Ship Masters or other crew members face criminal charges following a maritime incident or for alleged crimes onboard a…
Containership Dali contact with Baltimore’s FrancisScott Key bridge
26 March 1924 Blackouts led to loss of steering and propulsion on 984-foot-long vessel. NTSB investigation On 18 November the US NTSB said that a single loose…
Biennial General Assembly
Biennial General Assembly 2027
The next Biennial General Assembly will be hosted by the MTWTU (Maritime Transport Workers’ Union of Ukraine) in Ukraine in 2027 and all Members are invited. The exact date and location will be announced at a later date.
The assembly will focus on the key challenges impacting global shipmasters and the wider industry. The agenda will also cover the ongoing and planned work of the IMO and its future effects on shipping. All IFSMA members are invited to make presentations and have an open discussion on relevant industry subjects including the IFSMA Policies.
Introducing IFSMA
IFSMA – Maritime
Leadership in Action
Membership for Local Associations
Join Us Now and Influence the Future of Shipping
By joining IFSMA, your association becomes part of a global alliance of over 30 national organizations, giving your members a unified voice at the IMO and the opportunity to shape the future of international shipping. Membership provides the chance to participate directly as Subject Matter Experts at IMO, access to IMO documents and meetings, and global networking through the Biennial General Assembly.
We are now welcoming membership applications from Shipmaster associations worldwide. Also, IFSMA also brings together Industrial Members from the maritime equipment sector and Associate Members whose work supports our shared goals and key challenges.
Individual Shipmasters can join through their local association. If you need assistance finding your local association, please contact us.
IFSMA in Numbers
33
Member associations
10,000
Total number of Shipmasters represented
1974
Year when IFSMA was founded