The Tiny Nation Of Palau Will Ban Sunscreens In Effort To Save Coral Reefs



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Palau, a tiny island nation in the Pacific, will be one of the most common types of sunscreen in the world.

President Tommy Remengesau signed new legislation last week that will be "toxic reef" sunscreens beginning in 2020. Any visitor to Palau will have the products confiscated, and shops will be fine-tuned up to $ 1,000 per violation, according to to the Associated Press.

Reef-safe will be available.

Some scientists have been exposed to the effects of toxic chemicals. The product can be found on the water, and has a spokesman for Palau's government said to be one of the world's most popular snorkeling locations.

"If our most famous tour sites have four [and tourists] "Olkeriil Kazuo told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation," he said. "Any given day, that would be equated to three or more of the world's most famous dive spots, snorkeling, biodiversity and coral."

Remengesaubauer, für auf der Wehrungen, für die an der Wehrmacht, "Millions of people have come to know Palau as we do – to recognize our hope for its unique and ancient culture, for the abundance of its natural resources and for its pristine natural environment. "

"As more and more people come from all over the world to see us in their own eyes, we can not relinquish our responsibility for these islands," he wrote in August. "We must meet our duty, at every opportunity, to educate international visitors about how Palau has lasted in this uniquely untouched natural state for so long."

Located on the coast of Korau in Palau, Jellyfish Lake is one of 70 saltwater lakes on this South Pacific archipelago that were once connected to the ocean, but are now cut off. (Benjamin Lowy via Getty Images)

The country moved forward to the proposal after another landmark began to show severe signs of degeneration. Palau's famed Jellyfish Lake – named for the swarms of creatures floating in its waters – was closed for a year after the jellyfish began disappearing.

Hawaii said this year said it would be the beginning of 20s, but it would still be possible to bring it back to the market. Lawmakers cited similar studies that were found to be harmful, and noted that more than 3,500 of the world's most popular sunscreens contain harmful ingredients.

Coral reefs around the globe have been decimated in recent years, mainly due to climate change. Warming ocean temperatures have spurred several massive bleaching events that have left swaths of Australia's Great Barrier Reef dead or dying, and researchers have been sounding alarm bells about the future of such structures, saying they could mostly disappear as soon as 2040.

  • This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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