The Italian Skipper Association (AIS) is born: a new future for recreational skippers!
It was born recently and with the aim of associating professional recreational skippers operating in Italian waters, but the newly formed Associazione Italia Skipper (AIS) already has almost 500 members: President Raffaele Amore, Vice-President Mario Cudia and Secretary Simona Pasqua are spearheading this project. In addition to the hundreds of Skippers who are joining the new trade association, from all over Italy, there are also important corporate entities such as precisely BeBlue, which is nominating its President Emanuele Bradas and its Vice President Francesco Rizzi as regional representatives for Liguria and Veneto.
Contextually to its foundation, just in these days the decree-law for the revision of the professional titles of the pleasure craft operating the Italian flag passed by the Council of State. To date, the legislative situation makes it effectively impossible to practice the profession for charter boats in Italy: there is great excitement, therefore, for the regulation of the new figure of the 2nd class pleasure boat officer. Therefore, approval from the Chambers with publication in the Official Gazette is expected soon (early 2024).
As said BeBlue strongly believes in this project and in the commitment of the Institutions to solve this problem, after years of waiting finally it is hoped to be able to solve the long-standing issue of the skipper on charter boats that we remember in Italy are more than 1,500. After the meeting held on October 20, 2023, the President of AIS says he is also convinced that the greater the number of adhesions, the greater the "bargaining" power of the trade association will be on technical and administrative tables in order to redeem any doubts and make the decree as usable as possible in a short time.
The general expectation is that of a radical change in the position of professional skippers, despite the limitations imposed by the requirements and the timeframe that lies ahead and hopefully we are as short as possible in order to boost even more nautical tourism in Italy.
Read more at: https://www.associazioneitalianaskipper.it/
