As 2025 draws to a close, the International Standard for Maritime Pilot Organizations (ISPO) would like to extend its sincere thanks to all members, partners and stakeholders for their continued engagement and support throughout the year.
ISPO now brings together 41 affiliated pilot organizations, representing approximately 1,600 maritime pilots worldwide. In 2025, we were proud to welcome three new member organizations to our growing international community:
• Corporación de Prácticos del Puerto de Málaga – Málaga, Spain
• Pilbara Ports Pilotage – Port Hedland, Australia
• Tanger Med Pilotage Authority – Tangier, Morocco
A key highlight of the year was the ISPO Annual Conference, held at the end of November in Dubai. The conference was successfully hosted by P&O Maritime FZE at the DP World Pavilion in Expo City Dubai. The outstanding venue, strong attendance by ISPO members and interested parties, and a high-quality program with inspiring speakers made this event truly memorable.
The conference theme, “The evolution of maritime pilotage and pilot logistics – from local knowledge to data-driven maritime pilotage,” sparked valuable discussions and insights into the future of our profession.
This year also some important steps were taken to further professionalize the ISPO administration. The establishment of a dedicated OneDrive environment now ensures that the IUG administration operates fully independently, and the renewal of the ISPO website has resulted in a more modern, user-friendly and easily maintainable platform.
We invite anyone interested in ISPO and its work to visit our renewed website at:
As we look ahead to 2026, ISPO remains committed to strengthening international cooperation, supporting high standards in maritime pilotage, and fostering innovation within our sector.
On behalf of the ISPO Board and the International Users Group, we wish you a peaceful end to 2025 and a safe, healthy and successful 2026.
Warm Regards,
Matt Easton, IUG Chairman
