April 6, 2011 at 12:00 pm
The most common birds that citydwellers in Malaysia usually encounter are crows, sparrows and pigeons. Crows are the biggest pests, while pigeons are not that welcome because of their droppings, and sparrows, well, they tend to flit around going about their own business. One other type of bird, however, means big business for some enterprising Malaysians. And the name of that bird? Why, the swiflet, of course.
The edible nest builder
Swiftlets are highly sought after not because of their meat, but because of their nests. Their nests, which is made from the bird’s saliva, is considered a delicacy in Asia, particularly among Chinese. Soups made from swiftlets’ nests are pricey items with some costing up between USD 30 to USD 100, depending on the type of nest, and the region. Swiftlet nests are traditionally harvested from caves, but enterprising souls have begun farming swiftlets by setting up similar surroundings in urban environments. These farms, however, are not without controversy. A recent article by the Star touched upon the topic of swiftlet farmers in Georgetown, Penang and an alleged UNESCO letter about swiflet farms within the heritage enclave.
It is no secret that Georgetown’s listing as a UNESCO heritage site was mainly due to the city’s culture and heritage, along with the unique architectural designs of the buildings. Some of these buildings have been converted into swiftlet farms, sealed and empty buildings designed to encourage the nesting of swiftlets.
Does swiftlet farming bode well for Georgetown’s tourism industry that relies heavily on its UNESCO listing? Would you actually want to have a thousand or more swiftlets as your neighbours?
Tell us what YOU think.
Read the full article below:
A group of swiftlet farm owners has demanded the disclosure of a Unesco letter allegedly warning George Town to buck up on its enforcement of bird’s nest farming in the heritage enclave.
Pengkalan Kota Barisan Nasional coordinator Loke Poh Chye, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the full disclosure of the letter would be in line with the state government’s CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) policy.
“The state, which is always stressing on transparency, should allow the letter to be made public.
“The bird’s nest operators just want to find an amicable solution to the problem between them and the state,” Loke said at a press conference that was attended by some 20 bird’s nest farm owners.
He said the owners wanted to ascertain the reasons why Unesco was troubled with bird’s nest harvesting in the heritage zone.
“Without knowing what Unesco is concerned about, proper guidelines cannot be suggested to solve the problem,” Loke added.
On Feb 23, Penang Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow revealed that a letter had been sent from World Heritage Centre director Francesco Bandarin to Ali Abdul Ghani, Malaysia’s permanent delegate to Unesco in Paris, outlining the centre’s concerns on the conversion of heritage buildings into swiftlet breeding premises.
It had been reported that the centre had been made aware of the matter following a series of reports it had received.
The Penang Municipal Council, under the orders of the state, began a crackdown on Jan 1 to move swiftlet operators out of George Town which included using chainsaws and a skylift to gain access to the buildings.
After the press conference yesterday, a swiftlet house owner offered pressmen a look inside of one of the pre-war shophouses used as a bird farm.
Even though it was not the peak hours of the birds returning home (which are normally the early mornings and late afternoons), over 100 birds were seen in the dark upstairs room of the shophouse on Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling.
A.K. Ong, 55, who has been in the bird’s nest business for the past 17 years, said operators harvested the bird’s nests every two weeks. “When we harvest the nests, we clean the area of birds droppings as well.
“We also maintain the building and frequently treat the area with chemicals to kill any insects and bacteria,” Ong said.
Another owner, Lim Chooi Ing, said most operators no longer use loudspeakers to attract the birds.
“The birds are here because it is where they live. If they (the state) want to get rid of them, they will have to talk to them themselves!” said the feisty 76-year-old who has been in the business for over 40 years.
Another operator named Stanwin Tan, 43, claimed a group of some 70 operators had sent a letter to Chow two weeks ago seeking a dialogue, but had received no reply.
Chow could not be reached for comment as he is in Shanghai on a working trip.
Source: The Star
Photo (c) Lip Kee
Birds In The City
April 6, 2011 at 12:00 pm
The most common birds that citydwellers in Malaysia usually encounter are crows, sparrows and pigeons. Crows are the biggest pests, while pigeons are not that welcome because of their droppings, and sparrows, well, they tend to flit around going about their own business. One other type of bird, however, means big business for some enterprising Malaysians. And the name of that bird? Why, the swiflet, of course.
The edible nest builder
Swiftlets are highly sought after not because of their meat, but because of their nests. Their nests, which is made from the bird’s saliva, is considered a delicacy in Asia, particularly among Chinese. Soups made from swiftlets’ nests are pricey items with some costing up between USD 30 to USD 100, depending on the type of nest, and the region. Swiftlet nests are traditionally harvested from caves, but enterprising souls have begun farming swiftlets by setting up similar surroundings in urban environments. These farms, however, are not without controversy. A recent article by the Star touched upon the topic of swiftlet farmers in Georgetown, Penang and an alleged UNESCO letter about swiflet farms within the heritage enclave.
It is no secret that Georgetown’s listing as a UNESCO heritage site was mainly due to the city’s culture and heritage, along with the unique architectural designs of the buildings. Some of these buildings have been converted into swiftlet farms, sealed and empty buildings designed to encourage the nesting of swiftlets.
Does swiftlet farming bode well for Georgetown’s tourism industry that relies heavily on its UNESCO listing? Would you actually want to have a thousand or more swiftlets as your neighbours?
Tell us what YOU think.
Read the full article below:
A group of swiftlet farm owners has demanded the disclosure of a Unesco letter allegedly warning George Town to buck up on its enforcement of bird’s nest farming in the heritage enclave.
Pengkalan Kota Barisan Nasional coordinator Loke Poh Chye, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the full disclosure of the letter would be in line with the state government’s CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) policy.
“The state, which is always stressing on transparency, should allow the letter to be made public.
“The bird’s nest operators just want to find an amicable solution to the problem between them and the state,” Loke said at a press conference that was attended by some 20 bird’s nest farm owners.
He said the owners wanted to ascertain the reasons why Unesco was troubled with bird’s nest harvesting in the heritage zone.
“Without knowing what Unesco is concerned about, proper guidelines cannot be suggested to solve the problem,” Loke added.
On Feb 23, Penang Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow revealed that a letter had been sent from World Heritage Centre director Francesco Bandarin to Ali Abdul Ghani, Malaysia’s permanent delegate to Unesco in Paris, outlining the centre’s concerns on the conversion of heritage buildings into swiftlet breeding premises.
It had been reported that the centre had been made aware of the matter following a series of reports it had received.
The Penang Municipal Council, under the orders of the state, began a crackdown on Jan 1 to move swiftlet operators out of George Town which included using chainsaws and a skylift to gain access to the buildings.
After the press conference yesterday, a swiftlet house owner offered pressmen a look inside of one of the pre-war shophouses used as a bird farm.
Even though it was not the peak hours of the birds returning home (which are normally the early mornings and late afternoons), over 100 birds were seen in the dark upstairs room of the shophouse on Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling.
A.K. Ong, 55, who has been in the bird’s nest business for the past 17 years, said operators harvested the bird’s nests every two weeks. “When we harvest the nests, we clean the area of birds droppings as well.
“We also maintain the building and frequently treat the area with chemicals to kill any insects and bacteria,” Ong said.
Another owner, Lim Chooi Ing, said most operators no longer use loudspeakers to attract the birds.
“The birds are here because it is where they live. If they (the state) want to get rid of them, they will have to talk to them themselves!” said the feisty 76-year-old who has been in the business for over 40 years.
Another operator named Stanwin Tan, 43, claimed a group of some 70 operators had sent a letter to Chow two weeks ago seeking a dialogue, but had received no reply.
Chow could not be reached for comment as he is in Shanghai on a working trip.
Source: The Star
Photo (c) Lip Kee
Tags: bird nest farming, birds nest harvesting, Georgetown, penang, Swiftlet, unesco world heritage list