In a bid to protect coral in its waters and help it flourish, Thailand has issued a regulation banning sunscreen containing specific chemicals being banned in marine national parks.
Following a proposal issued by the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), sunscreens containing oxybenzone (benzophenone-3, BP-3), octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate), 4-methylbenzylid camphor (4MBC), and butylparaben are now banned.
Sunscreens are essential in protecting your skin from UV rays, but not all of them are great for corals and the marine ecosystem. Some sunscreens already describe themselves as ‘’reef-safe’’ in recognition of this issue.
Several UV-protection substances such as Oxybenzone and Octinoxate may cause coral beaching and threaten the life cycle of coral reefs. The more tourists, the more hazardous substance that could be introduced into these waters.
It is believed that an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen were released into the waters in Hawaii and the Caribbean alone.
In an effort to protect and revive their marine ecosystem, several coastal nations have decided to put a ban on reef-harming sunscreens. Palau, the island nation in West Pacific, became the first country in the world to pass the sunscreen bill, which has been in effect since January 2020.
Other destinations that have banned reef-harmful sunscreens include Hawaii, Florida, US Virgin Islands, Aruba, Mexico’s reserves, and Bonaire.
Thailand has now become the latest nation to ban coral-threatening sunscreens. The Royal Gazette, has detailed the ban on the use of sunscreen containing certain types of chemical that harms the coral reefs in any of Thailand’s national marine parks.
The document stated that high numbers of tourists have visited the marine parks and brought in the chemicals from the sunscreen applied on their bodies that maim the liveliness of coral reefs.
The ban is implemented on sunscreen products that contain the following chemicals:
Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3, BP-3)
Octinoxate (Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate)
4-Methylbenzylid Camphor (4MBC)
Butylparaben
Bringing in and/or use of sunscreen products containing the aforementioned chemicals could resilt in fines of up to B100,000, effective immediately.
