Maritime Assistance Service (MAS)

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) coastal States are obliged to establish a function for Maritime Assistance Service (MAS) to handle events on ships that are in difficulty and where environmental harm is imminent or has already occurred, but where no danger to human life is present.

In addition, the European Union has developed Directives and procedures as a result of vessel accidents ERICA and PRESTIGE as regards cooperation between authorities and emergency services. 

The following applies to Maritime Assistance Service, MAS, in Sweden

  1. The Swedish Transport Agency has the main responsibility
  2. The Swedish Coast Guard is responsible for maritime pollution response
  3. JRCC (Joint Rescue Coordination Centre within the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA)) is acting as the point of contact (PoC) between ship and shore within Swedish Search and Rescue Region (SRR) 

The MAS function is managed physically at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Gothenburg, where a special room for this purpose has been established. MAS is conducted in close cooperation between primarily the Swedish Transport Agency, the Swedish Coast Guard and the Swedish Maritime Administration, but also the Police, the municipal emergency services and local authorities may be involved.

A MAS alarm may be known to the authorities by radio or telephone call, where a vessel may request for assistance. Additionally, a search and rescue case may be transferred to MAS where there no longer is any danger to human life. 

The main tasks of the MAS function are that it should be able to

  1. receive reports from ships in need of assistance
  2. monitor the situation the ship is at
  3. act as a point of contact between ship and coastal authorities
  4. act as a point of contact between interacting partners at sea and the coastal state. 

The language normally used in a Swedish MAS-operation is Swedish or English. 

Contact details MAS Sweden

Point of contact

JRCC (SMA/Joint Rescue Coordination Centre) (24/7)
Call sign: Sweden Rescue
Watch on VHF channel: 16
Telephone: +46 31 648150 

Swedish Transport Agency

Duty Officer (TiB) of Swedish transport Agency (24/7)
The duty officer is alerted via SOS Alarm AB
Telephone: +46 771 800900 

Swedish Coast Guard (24/7)

Regional command centre south
Telephone: +46 31 7279100