Man detained for alleged coral poaching in Taitung

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) A man was picked by Coast Guard officers Sunday and taken to prosecutors on suspicion of illegally harvesting coral off the coast of Taitung, according to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).

The Coast Guard said it was alerted after the man was seen moving several styrofoam boxes in Fushan, Taitung City, that day.

When Coast Guard officers arrived on the scene, they found that the boxes contained 50 kilograms of coral, which the man admitted to have harvested in waters off Taiwan's east coast, the CGA said.

He was referred to Taitung prosecutors on charges of poaching protected marine resources, the CGA said.

(By Tyson Lu and S.C. Chang)