In recent years, there have been an average of 50 deaths a year connected to recreational boating in Sweden. This is a reduction compared with earlier years, but the number of fatalities is still far too high. The goal must be zero fatalities. While that may be impossible to achieve in practice, it must nevertheless be the aim of the work of the Maritime Safety Council.

The Maritime Safety Council
is part of the Swedish Maritime Administration. It is made up of representatives of the Swedish Maritime Administration, the Swedish Sea Rescue Society, the Swedish Police, the Swedish Coast Guard, insurance companies, the Maritime Sports Partnership Delegation (made up of the Swedish Yachting Association, the Swedish Cruising Association and the Swedish Sailing Federation), the Swedish Marine Industries Federation, the Swedish Sports Diving Federation and the Swedish Rescue Services Agency.

The Maritime Safety Council is a cooperative body of public agencies involved with maritime safety, the recreational craft and boat insurance industries and recreational boating and diving organisations. The composition of the Council covers the full spectrum. The primary mission of the Maritime Safety Council is to disseminate information. The Council is meant to inform the recreational boating community and others about how maritime safety can be improved and how accidents at sea can and must be prevented.

The information effort requires the Council to monitor accident statistics related to recreational boating and to ensure that certain accidents involving recreational craft are investigated. The knowledge that can be reaped from these activities combined with that represented within the Maritime Safety Council must be spread to others. Knowledge and experience from other countries should if possible be incorporated into the information effort.
 
The Maritime Safety Council has a long-term mission. Efforts should be planned five years in advance. The plans made should be rolled out every year. When planning its work, the Maritime Safety Council must utilise every available opportunity to cooperate with all recreational boating organisations in order to identify the right information channels, define target groups and gain control over the relevance of the work of the Maritime Safety Council.