IMPA receives the 2022 SAFETY4SEA Initiative Award

IMPA received the 2022 SAFETY4SEA Initiative Award for conducting annually its ‘Pilot Ladder Safety Campaign’ with the objective of reporting pilots’ experiences of ladders and boarding equipment to the IMO and the wider shipping community.

The Seminar aims to inform Member States, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with IMO about the societal value of maritime pilots and pilotage as a public service. The IMO Secretary-General has recognised maritime pilots as having always been vital to ensuring the safety of navigation in key ports and shipping lanes globally and playing a crucial role in sustaining the global supply chain using specialized knowledge and expertise....

There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

This expert article is based on a presentation given by Capt. Pilot Sven Stemmler at the MCN's (Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland e. V. ) event ‘On the Future of the Pilot Profession’ at Fraunhofer CML in Hamburg on 9 September 2025.

A valuable campaign managed by Chris Young, Kevin Vallance and others, which we found on Facebook .

As Taiwan’s first female maritime pilot, Huang Chao-ling battles wind and waves every day as she guides ships safely into port. Her profession is high-risk and ultra-specialized, requiring years of experience at sea. Huang’s remarkable career is featured in Episode 50 of "The Soul of the Craftsman," a video series produced by the General Association of Chinese Culture. As strong winds blow and the rope ladder sways, maritime pilot Huang Chao-ling clambers up the ship, so that she can guide...

Based on Pilot, Tug Master and Ship Captain Questionnaires

Compiled by:

Captain Henk Hensen FNI FITA Captain Daan Merkelbach FITA Captain F. van Wijnen MNI

A recorded webinar on the UiT Autonomous Ship Program, including recent research activities by Lokukaluge Prasad Perera. The presentation can be downloaded from : https://www.slideshare.net/LokukalugePrasadPere/uit-autonomous-ship-program-including-recent-research-activities

Although it cannot be said that ship piloting is the world’s oldest profession, most maritime experts do agree that pilotage does date back to antiquity.