Bunker Convention to Enter Force in '08
The last significant gap in the international regime for compensating victims of oil spills from ships is set to be closed, with the entry into force on 21 November 2008 of an international treaty covering liability and compensation for pollution damage caused by spills of oil, when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers. Current regimes covering oil spills do not include bunker oil spills from vessels other than tankers. Criteria for entry into force of the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 were met on 21 November 2007, following accession to the treaty by Sierra Leone. The Convention was adopted in 2001 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)…
Amendments to MARPOL Annex I Go into Effect in August
force. New regulation 12A, on oil fuel tank protection, adopted by MEPC 54 on March 24, sets out the requirements concerning the location of oil fuel tanks in all ships with an aggregate oil fuel capacity of 600m3 and above and which are delivered on or after 1 August 2010. In this context, "ship delivered on or after 1 August 2010" also refers to a ship for which the building contract is placed on or after 1 August 2007 or, in the absence of a contract, its keel is laid on or after 1 February 2008. The new regulation will, therefore, be immediately applicable for all categories of ships "on the drawing board" with oil fuel tanks of 600 m3 capacity, or more. located inside the double hull, thus helping prevent spillages of oil fuel in case of collision or grounding.
