| Established | March 28, 1973 |
| Activated | April 1, 1973 |
| Director | Svend Eskildsen |
| Budget (2007) | 255,8 Million DKK [1] |
| Webpage | www.frv.dk |
| Employees | 850 |
The Danish Maritime Safety Administration (DaMSA) (Danish: Farvandsvæsenet) is a department of the Danish Ministry of Defence with administration located in Christianshavn, Copenhagen. DaMSA operates throughout Denmark as part of the Danish Search and Rescue (SAR) organization that runs 21 rescue stations located along the coasts of Denmark.
Responsibilities of DaMSA include authorizing navigation systems and buoyage, resolving issues concerning wrecks and their salvage in Danish waters, and running the Danish Pilotage Service (Lodsvæsenet). DaMSA is the Centre for Operational Oceanography, which collects hydrographical and oceanographic data from all national waters, and makes charts and maps for use by the Military of Denmark and civilians. DaMSA is a full member of the North West Shelf Operational Oceanographic System.
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On April 1, 1973, Farvandsdirektoratet was established by merging the following organizations: Danish Lighthouse Service (Fyrvæsenet), Danish Pilotage Service (Lodsvæsenet), Danish Rescue Service (Redningsvæsenet) and the Royal Danish Nautical charts archive (Det Kongelige danske Søkortarkiv).
During the late 1970s and 1980s, the name Farvandsdirektoratet was changed to Farvandsvæsenet. Farvandsdirektoratet is still a used and accepted name.
In 1987, the Royal Danish Nautical charts archive was detached for merger with the National Survey and Cadastre of Denmark. All of these services have a long history on their own, reaching back to 1560.
On April 1, 2008, Farvandsvæsenet changed its English name from Royal Danish Administration of Navigation and Hydrography (RDANH) to Danish Maritime Safety Administration (DaMSA).[2]
Farvandsvaesenet occupies the buildings named Søkvæsthuset and Bakkehuset. Bakkehuset is known for housing the Danish poet Johan Ludvig Heiberg.
The mission of the Danish Maritime Safety Administration is to assure the safety of navigation at sea in Danish, Faroese and Greenland waters. DaMSA achieves this mission through execution of the following tasks: Exercise jurisdiction and issue nautical publications; Provide aids to navigation; Provide coastal rescue; Provide pilotage; Conduct hydrographical surveys and provide oceanographic information. [3]
DaMSA is a member of the SeaDataNet European Directory of Marine Organizations, providing bathymetric measurements in Danish and Greenlandic waters. Five surveying ships are present working in Danish waters, all equipped with a shallow water multibeam system. Two surveying ships (one with multibeam) are stationed in Greenland with working area on the west coast. [4]