Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The island country of Palau banned chemical sunscreens Wednesday, becoming the first country to outlaw lotions that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemicals believed to cause damage to coral reefs.
Palau, an archipelago of more than 500 islands in the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean, lists 10 chemicals in its Responsible Tourism Education Act for their potential of harming coral reefs when they get into the water.
"When science tells us that a practice is damaging to coral reefs, to the fish population or to the ocean itself, our people take note and our visitors do too," Palau President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. said. "The harmful effects of chemical sunscreen are well documented by scientists around the world, and that includes our local experts."
Stores in Palau caught selling sunscreen could be fined up to $1,000 while sunscreen bottled with oxybenzone and octinoxate will be confiscated from tourists. Sunscreens without the chemicals or any of the other banned substances are allowed.
The new law expanded on Palau's earlier move to ban chemical sunscreens from one of its main tourist hubs, Jellyfish Lake. It is also one of the latest moves by Palau to protect the environment.
