Travelers heading to the U.S. Virgin Islands may want to rethink what type of sunscreen they pack. The territory recently outlawed sunscreens with ingredients believed to harm coral reefs and other marine life.
It’s not the first such law — Hawaii and Key West, Fla., have passed similar measures — but it may be the first American entity to enforce such a ban.
In June, lawmakers passed the ban that prohibits stores from stocking some types of popular sunscreens after Sept. 30, and locals and visitors from using or possessing them on Jan. 1. “Tourism in the Virgin Islands is our lifeblood,” Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said in a statement after signing the law in July."[B]ut to ensure we continue to entice visitors with our world-class beaches and natural beauty in the coming years, we need to protect our coral reefs as part of our quest to initiate sustainable tourism. This is crucial all over the Caribbean, and I call on others to join me.
The U.S. Virgin Islands includes four large islands — St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island — as well as coral reefs around Virgin Islands National Park, Buck Island Reef and others. In making the decision, lawmakers cited scientific evidence from theindicating that “oxybenzone is deadly to coral and threatens overall reef health,” a statement said.
The EPA cites warming oceans, pollution that begins on land , trash and micro-plastics, and overfishing as other threats to reefs. The U.S. agency estimates that Caribbean reefs have lost 80% of their stony coral cover.The island nation of Palau in the western Pacific outlawed sunscreens with harmful chemicals in 2018.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hurricane Dorian Whips Puerto Rico, Virgin IslandsPuerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands were lashed with heavy rains and high winds as Hurricane Dorian tested the region two years after Maria wreaked historic devastation.
Read more »
Dorian heads for Florida, possibly as Category 3, after swiping Puerto Rico, Virgin IslandsLATEST on Hurricane Dorian: • Maximum sustained winds are near 85mph; hurricane-force winds extend out to 15 miles • Rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods, NHC says
Read more »
Hurricane Dorian lashes Virgin Islands, Puerto RicoJUST IN: Hurricane Dorian now forecast to make landfall in Florida as Cat. 3 storm late Sunday-early Monday. 'All indications are that by this Labor Day weekend, a powerful hurricane will be near or over the Florida peninsula,' NOAA says. Latest:
Read more »
Dorian becomes a hurricane as it bears down on the Virgin Islands and Puerto RicoDorian strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday afternoon as it lashed the British and US Virgin Islands. As the storm approaches eastern Puerto Rico, it's threatening floods and landslides in some areas that were hard hit two years ago by Hurricane Maria.
Read more »
Tropical Storm Dorian bears down on Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, could strike Florida as Category 2 hurricane later this week'Floridians need to be prepared and take this latest development seriously,' meteorologist Jayme King said.
Read more »