#reef-toxic

Palau's groundbreaking ban on "Reef-toxic" sunscreens came into effect on Wednesday as the tiny Pacific island nation launched rigorous conservation initiatives including one of the largest marine sanctuaries in the world.

Palau's groundbreaking ban on "Reef-toxic" sunscreens came into effect on Wednesday as the tiny Pacific island nation launched rigorous conservation initiatives including one of the largest marine sanctuaries in the world.

Palau's groundbreaking ban on "Reef-toxic" sunscreens came into effect on Wednesday as the tiny Pacific island nation launched rigorous conservation initiatives including one of the largest marine sanctuaries in the world.

Palau's groundbreaking ban on "Reef-toxic" sunscreens came into effect on Wednesday as the tiny Pacific island nation launched rigorous conservation initiatives including one of the largest marine sanctuaries in the world.

"We have to live and value the world because the ecosystem is life's habitat and no one in Palau can exist without it," President Tommy Remengesau told AFP as the new laws came into effect. Palau, roughly halfway between Australia and Japan in the western Pacific, is known for its marine life and is considered one of the best diving destinations in the world, but the government is afraid that its fame would come at a cost.

With the famous dive sites of Palau constantly packed with tourists, concerns were raised that building up such chemicals would irreparably harm the reefs.

Any reef-toxic sunscreen that has been imported or sold in Palau will be seized from New Year's day and the vendor will be fined US$ 1,000. "Toxic sunscreen compounds were discovered in the fragile environments of Palau and in the tissues of our most prominent creatures."We don't mind being the first nation to ban these substances, and we will do our best to spread the word.

"Science is clear, and once that word has spread, we're going to be the first of many."From January 1, the much-touched coastal sanctuary came into force. Closing to fisheries and other underwater operations, including mining and shark finning, 80% of its exclusive economic zone.

"For the future of Palau, it's a very ambitious and worthy goal," Remengesau said. For some 500,000 square kilometers of coastline, the coastal sanctuary forbids commercial fishing.

Many international vessels operating in the small fishing area are also expected to land their catch in Palau and then pay an export tax. Minister of the Environment Umiich Sengebau said that the law guarantees that Palau has the first rights to buy fish caught in the region before exports are permitted.