The Pacific island nation of Palau is a paradise made up of hundreds of pristine islands surrounded by beautiful lagoons – which is why the country has banned sunscreens believed to be toxic to coral reefs.
Some sunscreens contain chemicals – like oxybenzone and octinoxate – which researchers have found to be damaging to the delicate marine corals. Now, effective on 1 January, Palau no longer allows sunscreen with certain ingredients to be manufactured, imported or sold in the country. There is also a law that will specifically address travellers from outside the country bringing it in, which will not be allowed for any purpose. The penalty for this will be a fine of US$1000 per violation.
Travellers head to Palau to explore the natural beauty of the islands, and the top attraction is diving into the beautiful turquoise waters to explore the marine life. That’s why it has become very important to the island to protect what makes it special. In 2017, the country introduced the Palau Pledge – requiring visitors to sign a pledge on arrival, swearing that they would act in a way that protects the republic’s natural and cultural heritage.
Since protecting your skin from the sun is also important, there are a number of companies that make products that don’t use the chemicals found to be harmful to reefs. Hawaii recently became the first US state to pass a similar bill banning sunscreens with that harm corals, which will come into effect next year.
This article was first published on 5 November, 2018 and updated on 3 January, 2020.
