Answer
1. 1992 Civil Liability Convention (CLC 92)
Scope: Strictly applies to "persistent" oil carried as cargo in bulk on tankers.
A "ship" is defined as any seagoing vessel and seaborne craft of any type constructed or adapted for the carriage of oil in bulk as cargo.
For vessels capable of carrying both oil and other cargoes, they are considered a "ship" only when they are actually carrying oil in bulk as cargo.
These vessels are also considered a "ship" during any voyage immediately following such a carriage, unless it is proven that there are no residues of that oil cargo remaining on board.
Liability Regime: The registered shipowner is subject to strict liability (liable even without fault) for pollution damage.
Compensation Tiers: It is designed to work in conjunction with the 1992 Fund Convention. If the damage exceeds the shipowner's liability limit under the CLC 92, the 1992 IOPC Fund provides additional compensation (financed by oil receivers).
Insurance: Requires ships carrying more than 2,000 tons of oil in bulk as cargo to maintain insurance or other financial security.
2. 2001 Bunker Convention
Scope: Applies to pollution damage caused by bunker oil (fuel oil, lube oil, and residues) from any seagoing vessel, regardless of its type.
Purpose: It was adopted to fill the "gap" left by the CLC, as the CLC only covers bunker spills if they originate from a laden oil tanker.
Liability: Like the CLC, it imposes strict liability on the registered shipowner.
Limitation: Unlike the CLC, there is no supplementary international fund. Claimants must seek compensation directly from the shipowner (and their P&I Club/insurer) up to the limits defined by national/international limitation of liability regimes.
Insurance: Requires all ships over 1,000 gross tonnage (GT) to hold compulsory insurance or financial security.
Crucial Distinctions for MEO Class 1
Exclusivity: The Bunker Convention expressly excludes pollution damage as defined in the CLC 92. If a spill involves both cargo and bunkers from a tanker, the CLC 92 generally takes precedence.
Future Fuels: Note that the Bunker Convention specifically defines bunker oil as "hydrocarbon mineral oil." As per the IMO's current position, alternative fuels like methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, and LNG do not currently fall under the scope of the 2001 Bunker Convention, as they are not hydrocarbon mineral oils.