The Bahamas has acceded to two major IMO conventions: 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, which will prohibit the use of harmful organotins in antifouling paints used on ships and establish a mechanism to prevent the potential future use of other harmful substances in antifouling systems. The AFS Convention will enter into force, generally and for the Bahamas, on 17 September 2008. Accession by the Bahamas brings the number of States having ratified the Convention to 28 and the tonnage figure to 43.79% 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 spills of oil, when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers, and will enter into force, both generally and for the Bahamas, on 21 November 2008.
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