Residents of Hualien County are now permitted to collect unmarked driftwood from designated areas for personal use, the county said.
Areas where driftwood collection will be permitted include the coastline south of Pingsi River in Yilan County down to Kanan Bridge (卡南橋), which connects Yilan and Hualien counties (but not including the port in the Heping Industrial Zone); southward from the south side entrance to Chongde Tunnel (崇德隧道) to Chilaibi Lighthouse (奇萊鼻燈塔); from the estuary of Meilun Creek (美崙溪) to the beach at the boundary with Taitung County; and Shihti Fishing Port (石梯漁港).
Photo: CNA
However, any wood collected with markings designating it as state, public, or private-owned must be handed over to officials at designated checkpoints, and must not be cut or altered.
Checkpoints for bringing wood to officials have been set up in Sincheng (新城), Jian (吉安), Wanrong (萬榮) and Yuli (玉里) townships.
Unmarked driftwood collected for profit-making purposes must also be registered with the county for traceability purposes, but that collected for personal use may be taken without registration, the county said.
However, those intending to collect wood from rivers under the management of the county must first apply to the Hualien Economic Affairs Department before doing so, it said, adding that it is necessary for those collecting driftwood from rivers to have identification with them at all times.
The country also reminded the public that using machinery of any kind to remove wood from rivers is prohibited, and those doing so may incur fines up to NT$500,000.
Costa Rica sent a group of intelligence officials to Taiwan for a short-term training program, the first time the Central American country has done so since the countries ended official diplomatic relations in 2007, a Costa Rican media outlet reported last week. Five officials from the Costa Rican Directorate of Intelligence and Security last month spent 23 days in Taipei undergoing a series of training sessions focused on national security, La Nacion reported on Friday, quoting unnamed sources. The Costa Rican government has not confirmed the report. The Chinese embassy in Costa Rica protested the news, saying in a statement issued the same
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
CASE: Prosecutors have requested heavy sentences, citing a lack of remorse and the defendants’ role in ‘undermining the country’s democratic foundations’ Five people affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), including senior staff from the party’s Taipei branch, were indicted yesterday for allegedly forging thousands of signatures to recall two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. Those indicted include KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ru (黃呂錦茹), secretary-general Chu Wen-ching (初文卿) and secretary Yao Fu-wen (姚富文), the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said in a news release. Prosecutors said the three were responsible for fabricating 5,211 signature forms — 2,537 related to the recall of DPP Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) and 2,674 for DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) — with forged entries accounting for
RSS