Bahamas joins two United Nations anti-fouling conventions

The Bahamas, with the world's third largest registered fleet, has signed on to two major IMO Conventions and deposited its annual assessment for 2008 with the UN organization.

Basil O'Brien, High Commissioner and Permanent Representative of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to the IMO, has deposited with IMO Secretary-General, Efthimios Mitropoulos, instruments of accession to the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships, 2001 (AFS Convention) and the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (Bunkers Convention). The AFS Convention will prohibit the use of harmful organisations in anti-fouling paints used on ships and will establish a mechanism to prevent the potential future use of other harmful substances in anti-fouling systems. Parties to the convention are required to prohibit and/or restrict the use of harmful anti-fouling systems on ships flying their flag and all ships that enter a port, shipyard or offshore terminal of a participating nation, an IMO statement said. The AFS Convention will enter into force for the Bahamas in September 2008. Accession by the Bahamas brings the number of states having ratified the Convention to 28 and the tonnage figure to 43.79 per cent of the world's fleet. The 2001 Bunkers Convention was adopted to ensure that adequate, prompt and effective compensation is available to persons who suffer damage caused by oil spills when carried as fuel in a ship's bunkers, and will enter into force for the Bahamas in November. The Bahamas has also contributed US$2.41 million to the IMO's 2008 budget, based on the size of the nation's registered merchant shipping tonnage.
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