Palau declares sale and bringing of sunscreens as illegal to save coral reefs

Saturday, January 4, 2020

The use of suntan lotion doesn’t provide a tourist with a free ticket to kill coral reefs. Suntan lotion containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, two common chemicals are known to spoil coral reefs. Sounds strange? It’s true!

Killing coral reefs is akin to killing the travel and tourism industry, followed by killing the economy of a small country like Palau.

The Government of Palau, therefore, has become the first country to announce sale of sunscreens as illegal, under President Tommy Remengesau. He served as the ninth President of Palau since 2013. Remengesau originally served as the seventh president from 2001 to 2009, and was a Senator in the Palau National Congress between his two administrations.

Palau is an independent nation and an archipelago of more than 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean. “We have to live and respect the environment because the environment is the nest of life,” said Palau President Tommy Remengesau.”

Oxybenzone and octinoxate absorb ultraviolet light, the radiation that causes sunburn and skin damage.

Toxic sunscreen chemicals have been found all through Palau’s critical habitats and in the tissues of Palau’s most famous creatures. The President of Palau said, “We don’t mind being the first nation to ban these chemicals, and we will do our part to spread the word.”

Stores selling sunscreen with those chemicals would be fined up to $1,000. Tourists entering the country will not be allowed to bring such sunscreens with them.

Besides bleaching coral, the two chemicals have the properties to deform and damage its DNA, and also deform and kill juvenile coral.

Many Palau residents have witnessed environmentally destructive practices by unconcerned and careless visitors.

« Back to Page

• Qantas Joins Forces with Conservationists to Protect Australia’s Coral Reef

• Guam is all set to preserve its coral reefs, the key attraction of the island