Bangkok Post
Date: 23 Mar 2016
By: Staff Writer: AFP
TAIPEI – Taiwan authorities are confiscating pebbles collected as mementos
Taiwan’s East Coast National Scenic Area Administration shows beach pebbles seized from tourists.
by tourists and returning the rocks to the island’s picturesque beaches as they step up moves to preserve the scenic east coast.
In the latest geological repatriation, a cache of stones taken from outbound visitors by airport immigration were last week sent back to Taitung county, where rugged seascapes attract tourists, particularly from mainland China.
The haul of pebbles, collected over two months at Taipei’s main airport, weighed a total of 100 kilogrammes (220 pounds), according to the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration.
Fears that tourists taking stones will erode the island’s beaches have prompted authorities to put up signs at the most popular sites and at airports in recent years. [FULL STORY]
