Theft in our Forests: Examining Taiwan's Silent War

Timber has been at high risk in Taiwan's highly forested areas over the past decades. The illegal sale to wood carvers of endangered old-growth forests trees by individuals or groups has led to a large amount of forest loss in Asia, including Taiwan. There are many ways to solve this problem, and Taiwan is struggling to find the right one.
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Its history of conservation and restoration of forests is intertwined with its development economics. While Japan occupied Taiwan in 1912-1945, the yellow cypress (or Hinoki) was the first tree to be poached. Timber harvesting was at its peak during the Japanese colonial period, which began immediately after World War II. Wood became the most important war material for weapons and equipment, so timber harvesting was a major focus.
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Japan began to view Taiwan as an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" as it saw the country as a key stepping stone for its military expansion. As Japan aggressively managed its timber exports and cut, including cypress, pine, and camphor, Taiwan was under increasing economic pressure. Between 1965 and 1975, an average 1,552,600 cubic metres, or approximately 18,000 hectares, of forest were cut each year.
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Many Taiwanese citizens demanded environmental protection because of this level of harvesting. This exploitation was stopped in 1976 when the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), was enacted to protect forest ecosystems. Since then, Taiwan's efforts have focused on both preserving and harvesting/reforesting biological diversity
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Taiwan cut the annual timber volume to less than 1,000,000 cubic metres in 1977. In 1990, 99 percent of its timber supply had been imported. This was to promote forest protection. In 1990, the logging of centennial trees was prohibited. The ban on natural forests followed in 1991. As the wood market grows, illegal logging and poaching also increase.
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The illegal woodcarving industry has been a major part of Miaoli Country's Sanyi Township, north Taiwan. The wood shops house over 300 of the country's most sought-after wood products. These include essential oils from felled trees, beautiful burl pieces, and life-sized sculptures. In recent years, wood theft has been a major route to acquire wood.
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These trees are sought after by artists and collectors for their strong, aromatic wood and oil, which have been said to have healing properties in traditional Chinese medicine. Red cedar and Hinoki cypress trees are highly sought after because they have unique wood patterns and can live for thousands of years. These stores sell contraband wood mixed with legal timber. It is difficult to trace its origins.
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Store owners don't worry about police intervention as these domestic wood products can be advertised and sold openly. Shopkeepers and artists openly admit to working with illegal wood poachers and contraband wood because they don't know where the wood is sold. Although poaching is a dangerous business, it can be done with great success.
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Many tree poachers are runaway Vietnamese migrants who are often used as foot soldiers. Frank Lin, director of Taiwan's Forestry Bureau, stated that a single worker can make 30,000 Taiwanese Dollars (US$981) in a matter of hours. This is more than the minimum wage of NT$22,000. This alone makes this job attractive and lucrative.
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Many migrant workers find themselves in debt, and are easily lured into the lucrative financial world of making quick money. The poaching operators such as illegal logger ring leaders are happy to give them their money. Many migrant workers don't know the dangers of being caught. They are guaranteed deportation and can be sentenced to between five and 20 years in Taiwanese jails.
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This speaks to a deeper and more troubling reality: the exploitation of foreign labor, underpayment, a vicious cycle debt bondage, and often are arrested while trying daring escapes. 2017 saw 239 arrests, while 2016 saw 244 arrests. 22 arrests were made on December 26, 2019 and timber from protected endemic tree species was confiscated from an illegal logging ring.
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A Vietnamese man was killed trying to flee from police who tried to capture him on a poaching trip in Chiayi Country. Six Vietnamese workers were detained after being found with 400 kilograms old-growth Cyprus. Seven people were also arrested on August 26 for illegally logging state-owned forests in Nantou County. Four Taiwanese drivers were among the seven who transported the three Vietnamese migrants into the mountains with 400 kilograms of old-growth cyprus. On June 28, 2022, six Vietnamese workers were arrested. And most recently, on August 26, seven people were arrested for illegal logging in Nantou County state-owned forest areas.
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After the tree has been cut, its carbon stores are released back into the atmosphere. This can trap heat and cause climate change. Moreover, Taiwan will suffer more from rising sea levels and land subsidence if it does not have trees to help protect its costs. It is vulnerable to environmental damage due to its geographical location.
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These trees not only can sequester carbon and reduce coastal winds but also dilute and absorb pollution from the environment. They also protect crops nearby. Tree logging also damages the rule of law that protects forests and encourages deforestation. This can cause serious social conflicts among the migrants, the government and the local peoples. It can also lead to violence, human rights abuses and other forms of injustice. The Taiwanese Government is currently looking for solutions to illegal tree poaching.
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Poachers and police have been trapped in vicious cycle of fighting for the forest. Taiwan has gone through many stages of Forestry Act enforcement since 1991, when logging was banned. This is to demonstrate its commitment to tree poaching rights. The department had a shortage of staff from 1991 to 1993 and the Forestry Act was not enforced.
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Many people became dependent on tree poaching to sustain their livelihoods, prompting public outrage. In 2004, the Taiwanese government established the Central Forest and Natural Reservation Task Force with 178 police officers stationed at eight bases. The Act has been updated by the Taiwanese government.
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The government passed harsher sentences in 2015 for poachers, with minimum six months imprisonment. They also increased the penalty to as high as 10 to 20 times what they took in timber. After a four year collaboration between Academia Sinica's Biodiversity Research Center and the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan's government created a DNA database of Taiwan cypresses and cedar trees in 2021.
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They have collected over 600 tree samples since 2017, which are protected species under the Forestry Act. The DNA database acts almost like a fingerprint and provides an identification card. The database allows police to locate illegal logging sites and can be used to prove it to the police.
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The DNA database is an important step in identifying the locations of tree poachers. The New FrameworkTaiwan has some of the most beautiful and diverse forests on the planet, with over 4,000 year olds. The illegal tree poaching has had a devastating effect on precious forests. Taiwan continues to suffer from significant forest loss.
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Although new, innovative solutions like a DNA database that tracks cedar and cypress trees have been implemented, the problem remains. With their numerous revisions to the Forestry Act, the Taiwanese Government seems to be drawn to harsher forestry legislation. However, this raises the question: Is this the best way to stop illegal logging in the forest? Do higher levels of law enforcement have a limited deterrent effect on poachers? An alternative to increasing punitive measures, such as the time spent in prison for migrant workers, more empirical studies of behavioral analysis on motivations or decision-making might be needed. In some provinces of Taiwan, restorative justice is already proven to work in a small number of cases. For example, Hsinchu saw a man steal a piece red cypress. The forestry bureau, police and the prosecutor all stressed the importance of the timber. This resulted in the man returning the piece to the original tree.
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These actions can break the vicious cycle of theft. Blanket bans are not the solution. Instead, information and documentation about old-growth forests should be made available to the public. Educational facilities and support programs may also be useful for young migrant workers. These potential methods and analyses may help Taiwan save its forests.