TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Following Typhoon Kong-rey, large amounts of driftwood have accumulated on Hualien beaches.

According to the Forestry and Conservation Agency, Hualien Branch collecting large pieces of driftwood is illegal. No announcements have been made yet allowing the public to collect driftwood associated with Typhoon Kong-rey, per CNA.

Forestry officials estimate nearly 13,000 tons of driftwood have accumulated on the Hualien coast. Much of this wood has been found on beaches, embankments, and even trails.

So far, forestry officials have noted three cases of people poaching valuable driftwood such as red cypress and hinoki cypress, urging the public to pay attention to relevant regulations and await public announcements allowing collection.

Forestry officials said the hard work of recording driftwood and cleaning beaches is underway and will be completed within one week. Only then will the Hualien County Government announce the public collection of driftwood. 

During the public collection period, temporary inspection stations will be set up on beaches to inspect and register driftwood. Driftwood meeting specifications such as being less than 20 cm in diameter, less than two meters long, and weighing less than 50 kg per piece can be picked up without registration.

If driftwood does not meet these criteria, indicating it is suitable for processing or resale, it must be registered at the checkpoint to obtain a legal ownership certificate.