What is the Bunkers Convention, and why was it needed when the CLC already existed?
Short answer
| CLC 1992 | Bunkers Convention 2001 | |
|---|---|---|
| Oil covered | persistent cargo oil | the ship’s own fuel and lubricating oil |
| Ships | oil tankers | any seagoing ship |
| Liable party | the registered owner | owner, registered owner, bareboat charterer, manager, operator |
| Second tier | the IOPC Fund | none; limited under the LLMC |
| Certificate | tankers carrying persistent cargo oil | ships of more than 1,000 GT |
- The gap: the CLC covers persistent cargo oil from tankers, with the IOPC Fund as a second tier; a bulk carrier or container ship spilling thousands of tonnes of its own fuel had no regime.
- Bunkers Convention 2001 (in force 2008): bunker oil is any hydrocarbon mineral oil including lubricating oil used for operation or propulsion (article 1); any seagoing ship.
- Strict liability (article 3) channelled broadly to the shipowner: owner, registered owner, bareboat charterer, manager and operator; damage covered by the CLC is excluded (article 4).
- Limitation (article 6): under the LLMC 1976 as amended; no separate international fund.
- Insurance (article 7): ships over 1,000 GT carry compulsory insurance and a Bunker Certificate, with direct action against the insurer; time bar 3 years, at most 6 (article 8).
- As Chief Engineer: preventing the bunker spill is my job (bunkering procedure, tank levels, SOPEP); India: MS Act 2025 s.199 exclusions, s.204 insurance over 1,000 GT, s.206 certificate from DGMA.
Full answer
The full answer explains each point step by step, with the regulations and figures behind it and the discussion from other candidates. It is in the MEO Class I section of the Marine One forum, open to members enrolled for the MEO Class I exam.