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During an ordinary day, four boats at the hour can reach the reef, each overflowing with infested tourists diving to snuggle into this unique colorful environment.
"It may be that a sugar cane with sunscreen is entering the sea every day," says a spokesman for Palaus president Tommy Remengesau for The Guardian.
Southern Palau North of New Guinea and the east of the Philippines is a diving paradise with artificial coral reefs.
The country is excellent for a committed nature conservation. This is the first time in the world to ban sunscreens. Sunscreen contains a number of chemicals that can damage corals, even in small amounts.
Chemicals make corals lighter, which increases the risk of dying, and the growth of young corals is inhibited.
Topics covered include oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene and some parabens. The first two are thought to be the worst.
From January 1st, 2020 prohibit the import and sale of sunscreen containing any of the ten specified substances. Violation of the ban is punishable by a fine of $ 1,000 (about $ 9,000).
If tourists bring cream with banned substances, parcels are seized.
The United States of Hawaii applies the same ban, but it will not come into force until 2021.
Regional bans already exist, among others, in the Mexican nature reserves and in the Caribbean island of Bonaire. Palaus, however, becomes the first national and the most complete.
Chemicals in sunscreen This is just one of the many threats to coral reefs around the world, and it is not the worst. The worst would be global warming and local overfishing. The acidification of the garden is another threat.
Lawmakers in many places have at least eyes on the two worst subjects, including the Palau blacklist. Five years ago, they accounted for 75% of all sunscreen products, but today, they are about half as many, writes the BBC.
Substances that block the sun do not only threaten the corals. Research also indicates that they can cause allergies in humans.
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