Over 7,000 marine Pilots from 40 countries are members of the International Maritime Pilots Association (IMPA) which meets bi-annually to develop resolutions regarding the provision of Pilotage services. The IMPA is also a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which is the "United Nations specialized agency responsible for improving maritime security and preventing pollution from ships." The Canadian marine Pilots are members of the Canadian Marine Pilots Association (CMPA), which represents the interests of the Canadian marine Pilots at the national level.

There are different regulations around the world governing which vessels require a licensed Pilot on board and which do not. In British Columbia, a ship must have a Pilot on board if it is registered under a foreign flag (foreign crew) and is over 350 gross registered tones (about the size of a large yacht). If a ship is registered in Canada (Canadian crew) it does not require a Pilot on board unless it is over 10,000 gross registered tons (about the size of the BC Ferries). All of the areas on the B.C. coast including the west coast of Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands fall under the compulsory Pilotage legislation.