The IIMM attended the 30th CESMA AGA at EMSA in Lisbon.
A milestone anniversary event marking 30 years of the Confederation of European Shipmasters’ Associations (CESMA) in Lisbon on the 15th and 16th May was hosted by the Portuguese Master Mariners Association, Sindicato de Capitāes e Oficiais da Marinha Mercante (SINCOMAR) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
The annual gathering of CESMA is a two-day event where day one consists of the council meeting and day two the Annual General Assembly.
The connections made with SINCOMAR in Portugal showed that there is so much more in common with all of the Master Mariner Associations, especially with their aims and challenges.
In meeting face to face with representatives at EMSA including heads of departments and policy advisors, this facility of direct communication and connection between policy advisors and Master Mariners operating daily in the marine environment was recognised as a great benefit.
This event created such connections and underlines the significance of active participation of Master Mariner Associations.
These connections have created relationships that have potential to provide more understanding for proper implementation of innovative policy with best practice and progression. This could result in real benefits from creating proper policies at inception to effective implementation at the operations end.
Many topics were discussed including safety, security, surveillance and criminalisation of seafarers.
The International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations and the International Maritime Pilots’ Associations were both represented at the CESMA AGA.
To recognise the 30th year anniversary of CESMA, Captain Trevor Crowley presented the President of CESMA, Captain Dimitar Dimitrov, with a memento to mark the occasion.
Captain Trevor Crowley, President IIMM and Captain Bill Kavanagh, CESMA Council Member attended on behalf of the Irish Institute of Master Mariners.
