Preliminary

We cannot begin this historical review of the shipowners associations established in the Basque Country without a brief reference to the "Consulate, Trade House, Sea and Shore Businessmen Court and University of Bilbao", simply known as "Consulate of Bilbao" ("Consulado de Bilbao"), which certainly was the first institution intended for shipping interests existing in Bilbao, and whose birth dates back to the year 1511. Not in vain, already in the year 1.504, there were 500 merchant vessels registered in Bilbao, being the nerve centre of the exportations of wine and wool coming from the Meseta. It was for more than three centuries the national and international representation of the shipping power in the "Villa".

From that Consulado de Bilbao, in 1737, it will emerge the "Ordinances of the illustrious University and Trade House of the very noble and very loyal Villa of Bilbao", which lasted out until the promulgation of the Commercial Code in the year 1829, that was mostly based on the mentioned Ordinances, and that were and still are, beyond doubt, the most important legal piece in this matter that Bilbao had ever given.

Focusing now on the 20th Century, the historic background that can be found relating to organizations that had the aim of defending and representing the shipping interests goes back exactly to the beginning of the century, that is to the year 1900.

Birth of the Bilbao Shipowners Association

On the 9th of March 1900 a meeting took place in the Terminus Hotel of Bilbao, attended by the mayority of shipowners with head offices in Bilbao. (See foundation act 603 kb).

In this meeting they resolved to constitute a shipowners association that will be named -"Asociación de Navieros de Bilbao" - Bilbao Shipowners Association. Those present in this meeting also approved five simple rules that should be the foundation of the new association they intended to set up, and among them it is worth to bring out the first one, that said:

"Under the name of Bilbao Shipowners Association, a Society is created with head office in this city and the sole object of defending and promoting the interests of the associated members and their representation facing the public powers and national and international societies of similar aims or related to shipping"

In this meeting it was also decided to name a Board of Directors composed by the next gentlemen, Mr. Eduardo Aznar y Tutor, Mr. Francisco Martínez Rodas and Mr. Juan José de Llodio, who would take charge of drawing up, following the approved rules, the Regulations of internal government that will rule the new Association, and also of carrying out all the necessary steps to make this association legally constituted.

On 21st March 1900 it is declared solemnly legal and definitively constituted The Bilbao Shipowners Association. The total tonnage represented and registered in this Association was 231.769 tons with 50 vessels.

One of the first tasks carried out by the BSA was the study and drawing up of a proyect of salaries for the crews. Once approved, the associated members undertook to apply it in their own shipping companies.

It was also created in the Association a register relating to all the seafarers embarked in the association fleet, where it was stated the personal particulars, provenance, profession, voyages made and behaviour.

Another proyect carried out by the Association was the creation of a charitable fund for Masters, Officers and Engineers, that was approved on 29th April 1901.

In 1906, under the sponsorship of the Association chairman, Mr Ramon de la Sota, a 4,000 ton clipper called "Ama Begoñakoak" was bought, becoming the first private training ship in Spain.

Ama Begoñakoa picture

Ama Begoñakoa crew

(See crew list 83 kb )

In 1907 the BSA was invited to join The International Shipping Federation. The BSA decided to accept the invitation and join said Federation, attending its first meeting held in London on November 23-25, 1921.(See document)

In 1914 it is established the first seafarer embarkment agency at the request of the Bilbao Shipowners Association.

In 1921, Mr Francisco Aldecoa Uriarte, founder of the Nervión Maritime Company and notable member of the Association created the salvage station for castaways in Arriluce Lighthouse in Getxo. For this purpose, he also purchased a lorry in order to transfer the castaways from the harbour. (See Arriluce picture , Nameplate picture , Rescue truck picture)

Creation of The North Shipowners Association

In the year 1919, in a meeting that gathered several shipowners from Bilbao in the headquarters of the Sociedad La Aurora, it is founded The North Shipowners Association, with the same objetives than The Bilbao Shipowners Association.

The reasons for this new association were the discrepancies among the shipowners registered in Bilbao, as nothing new was brought to the existing association except that the new one was open to the shipowners registered in the North of Spain.

The first Board of Directors was presided by Mr. Enrique Goiri, being the Vicepresident Mr Juan Gobeo, and the Secretary Mr. José de Lorenzo Solís.

The Cantabric Shipowners Association

In 1936 the Civil War affected decisively the life of both associations in such a critic time for the shipping companies without freights and their vessels sunk or confiscated. But more than ever the representation of both associations was needed, and for this reason the idea of merging and creating a new one with all the associated members came up. And so, at the beginning of 1937 the idea took shape and it was attained in July of the same year, when both associations decided to merge and constitute The Cantabric Shipowners Association. The new Chairman was Mr. Enrique de Astigarraga remaining as Secretary Mr. José de Lorenzo Solís.

On 30 July 1942 The Cantabric Shipowners Association hired Mr. Ignacio Artaza Cortés, as juridical advisor, whose performance in the following years was essencial for the Association life.

Birth of the Maritime Consulting Bureau

The new political status in the country after the Spanish Civil War brought a legal change that wholly affected the situation of the newborn Cantabric Shipowners Association. In fact, by Decree of 21st April 1938 all kind of associations were forbidden in Spain, so that the C.S.A. was irreversibly faced up to disappear. It happened on 9th December 1942, giving way to the Maritime Consulting Bureau that, keeping the same staff, now pretends to work as a consulting bureau that sees about all the queries and actions the shipping companies were involved in, and that was supported by the same associated companies. Thanks to this all the reports and files of the first shipowners associations in Bilbao have fortunately been preserved.

The intervention of the Maritime Consulting Bureau was particularly decisive in the Law of 12 May 1956, on Protection and Renovation of the Merchant Fleet, which contained a ten-year plan of renovation that, happily fulfilled, brought off that the Spanish Merchant Fleet, with only 1.198.627 grt in 1956, -67% of which were units older that 25 years-, at the end of this plan had 2.204.270 grt, only 19,6% of which was obsolete tonnage.

The current Basque Shipowners Association

In 1981, once the democracy was restored, the shipowners members of the Maritime Consulting Bureau decided to take up again the former way of membership, naming it Asociación de Navieros Vascos which was registered on 21st. September 1981. At that time 149 vessels belonged to the Association, with 1.817.492 Grt., being the historical top from then on.

After the 80´s, where it took place the attachment and massive sales of vessels on the part of the Sociedad de Gestión de Buques and the consequent extinction of prestigious shipping companies, those companies still existing in the Basque Country have achieved their competitiveness through their specialization in very specific traffics and goods that demand, not only from the vessels but also from their crews and management, high levels of quality, technology and qualifications hard to be reached in other countries at an adequate cost.

All this, together with the complete freedom to contract and purchase and also to export and flag register in addition to the abolition of the rest of the restrictions existing in Spain during the whole XX century, was the reason for optimism and confidence in the future of the sector in the Basque Country making our Association grow not only quantitatively but also in quality and international prestige, favouring the entry in the Association of important foreign shipping groups.

The first Chairman in this new stage was Mr. José Ignacio Aranguren, being the Secretary General Mr. José Ignacio Goitisolo, who was succeeded in this post by Mr. Rafael Gonzalo. On 14th February 1985 Mr. José María Jauregui was elected new Chairman of the Basque Shipowners Association who, after his two years term in the chairmanship, was succeeded by Mr. Jorge Churruca that remained in this post until 1994, when Mr. Juan Carlos Acha Arrieta took up his position as Chairman. After the vacancy in the post of General Director, in the year 1989 Mr. José Antonio Martínez O. de Landaluce took over this post in which he has been working since then until his death on October 16th 2017. At present the new Secretary General, appointed by the Board of Directors, is Mr. Santiago Bilbao Chopitea. (See pictures of the former Chairmen and its terms dates)

On 15th December, 2000, year of the first centenary of the Association, Mr Alejandro Aznar Sainz took over from Mr. Juan Carlos Acha Arrieta as Chairman, post that he is still holding at present.

Among the Association´s activities it is highlighted the Cadet Training Program, leader in Europe and subsequently emulated by significant European maritime powers and from which more than 1750 cadets have benefited since its introduction in 1993; the Maritime Recruitment Agency, available free of charge to associated shipping companies and also to not registered companies; the Association assignment as INEM (National Employment Institute) Collaborator Agency at first, and years later by LANBIDE (Basque Employment Service) as Employment Agency ; the associated companies participation in the introduction of the Tonnage Tax in Biscay, pioneer in the Spanish State, together with a favourable fiscal treatment for reinvestments; its determining participation in the Cuban titles endorsement by the European Union in 2002, its contrasted educational vocation through the altruistic display of many of the board of Directors members at giving lessons, conferences and seminars on maritime sector subjects in centres and universities in Europe and Latin-America; the constant organization of specialization courses for the sea professionals; the incessant surveillance of the maritime cabotage regulation performance, and a large etcetera that have marked its activity in the last decades.

Finally, in June 2015, the Board of Directors decided to consolidate the Association future moving its headquarters to a new owned office located in Bilbao, in Calle Uribitarte, 8, next to the docks where so many associated vessels were berthed to carry out port operations along the XX century.