In accordance with the Executive Yuan's directive, Mystery Beach in Nan'ao Village, Yilan County has been designated as a site that prohibits beach buggy activities. It is a prioritized enforcement area for strong joint enforcement by the central government and local governments. The beach is the habitat for the restoration and breeding of the Sterna albifrons (little tern), a conserved marine wild animal in the second category in the list of protected species (rare and valuable species). The National Property Administration (NPA) and the Yilan Office of the Northern Region Branch, NPA (hereinafter referred to as the Yilan Office) will continue to work with the Yilan County Government, Yilan County Government Police Bureau, Yilan County Suao Township Office, and related authorities to strengthen enforcement against illegal beach buggy activities in order to conserve the habitat of the rare and valuable species.

    The NPA stated that the Executive Yuan has recently designated Mystery Beach in Nan'ao as a prioritized enforcement area for strong joint enforcement of the prohibition of beach buggy activities by the central government and local governments. In accordance with the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, the beach buggy is not a transportation vehicle designed for the purpose of carrying passengers or goods and shall not be driven on the road. In addition, the beach area where the beach buggies are driven recklessly, carrying passengers illegally, is the habitat for the restoration and breeding of the conserved marine wild animal in the second category, the rare and valuable species, the little tern. It is also a habitat that accommodates rare and valuable species such as the Thalasseus bergii (greater crested tern) and the Charadrius alexandrines (kentish plover). The high biodiversity and rich ecological resources of the coast are of great ecological conservation significance. The Taiwan Rural Ecological Species Conservation and Restoration Non-Profit Association (hereinafter referred to as the Rural Association) has adopted the land of Mystery Beach in Nan'ao and the national land with Land No. 1072 in Nanxi Sec., Suao Township, Yilan County managed by the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan (herein after referred to as the COA) (totaling an area of 77.74 hectares) on April 14, 2023. In order to conserve the habitat of the rare and valuable species, the NPA’s Yilan Office has taken measures such as posting signs, installing barrier facilities, and digging trenches along with the joined-forced non-periodic patrolling with the Rural Association. Through public-private cooperation, discoveries of beach buggies will be immediately reported to the police or relevant authorities to call for enforcement or give out punishments in accordance with the law in order to curb illegal behaviors. In order to obstruct the unscrupulous beach buggy culture, the NPA’s Yilan Office has informed the lessees of adjacent national land to not provide the leased national land for the parking or usage of beach buggies and to use the national land in accordance with the lease agreement. If it is found or reported that the national land leased has been provided to beach buggies for parking or other illegal uses, the lease will be terminated and the land will be recovered in accordance with the lease agreement.

    The NPA further stated that in response to the approaching summer peak season of travelling and the accident at Mystery Beach in Nan'ao where a vehicle was swept into the ocean by a swell, the Yilan Office has taken the initiative to write to the Coast Patrol Corps 1 of the Northern Branch of the Coast Guard Administration, Ocean Affairs Council to strengthen the patrols. In order to safeguard tourists' lives, the Yilan Office has collected evidence of violations of the law, such as the operators’ use of social networks or travel website apps for customer soliciting, and has written to the Taiwan Yilan District Court Prosecutor's Office and consumer ombudsmen for judgements and punishments in accordance with the law. The Office has also appealed for the public's attention not to encourage illegal activities. Instead, it is advocated that the public shall avoid being engaged in dangerous recreational activities such as beach buggies, work together to protect the rare and valuable species in Nan'ao Mystery Beach and their habitat, and do their part to restore the habitat of the rare and valuable species. The goal is to create a sustainable development of the environment and to leave a better ecological environment to the next generation.

Contact person of the press release: You Shu-Man, Section Chief

Tel.: +886-2-27718121 ext.1211