From 2020, lotions containing any
of 10 chemicals linked to coral bleaching will be outlawed
Guardian staff and agencies
Fri 2 Nov
2018 00.32 GMTLast modified on Fri 2 Nov 2018 18.15 GMT
The tiny Pacific island nation
of Palau will
ban “reef-toxic” sunscreens from 2020 in what it claims is a world-first
initiative to stop chemical pollution killing its famed corals.
Palau, which lies in the north-west
Pacific, east of the Philippines and directly north of Australia, is regarded
as one of the world’s best diving destinations, but the government is concerned
its popularity is coming at a cost.
A spokesman for President Tommy
Remengesau said there was scientific evidence that the chemicals found in most
sunscreens are toxic to corals, even in minute doses.
He said Palau’s dive sites
typically hosted about four boats an hour packed with tourists, leading to
concerns a build-up of chemicals could see the reefs reach tipping point.
“On any given day that equates to
gallons of sunscreen going into the ocean in Palau’s famous dive spots and
snorkelling places,” he said.
“We’re just looking at what we
can do to prevent pollution getting into the environment.”
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