SUNSCREEN BANNED TO SAVE CORAL REEFS

May 27, 2019

Palau has become the first country to ban many kinds of sunscreen, in a move to protect its coral reefs from chemicals that scientists say cause significant damage.

Note to readers: This topic was originally published in The Hindu on November 4, 2018. Since it was not covered in the News ‘Recitals’ of that day, so we are covering it today.

About:

Under the ban, “reef-toxic” sunscreen — defined as containing one of 10 prohibited chemicals, a list that could grow later — can be confiscated from tourists when they enter the country, and retailers who sell it can be fined up to $1,000.
The ban will take effect in
Reason for ban:
- An estimated 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen lotion ends up in the world’s oceans annually through sewer systems or washes off swimmers.
- Chemicals in sunscreen can cause localized coral bleaching and can disrupt the reproduction of fish by interfering with their hormonal systems.
- A 2015 study found that oxybenzone in sunscreen stunts coral growth and is toxic for the algae that live within reefs.
- A major impetus for the ban was a 2017 report that found sunscreen products to be “widespread” in Jellyfish Lake, one of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.