Penang Swallow Birds Nest industry needs a proper nest

As Penang celebrates its month-long George Town Heritage Festival to commemorate the second year of the city’s listing as a Unesco World Heritage site, the issue of Swallow Birds Nest farming hovers over the heads of its authorities, posing a threat to the prestigious listing status.

Malaysia is currently looking at implementing the Swallow Birds Nest Industry Guidelines for Swallow Birds Nest harvesters to turn the business into a RM5 billion industry by 2020.

The Penang state government will now need to make a stand on how it wishes to regulate this potentially lucrative industry.

The issue being faced in George Town currently is that the Swallow Birds Nest industry is co-existing along residents and businesses of the historic inner city.

So-called “restored” shophouses are said to be fronts of Swallow Birds Nest farms, since Swallow Birds Nest farmers are believed to prefer buying or renting properties in George Town, than locate their operations in an agricultural area.

Apart from posing heritage concerns, the issue of public health is one which needs urgent addressing.

The hardened nests made up of Swallow Birds Nest saliva have been a delicacy treasured by the Chinese for centuries.

Penang Swallow Birds Nest industry needs a proper nest

The global market for Swallow Birds Nest is said to be worth billions of ringgit.

Because of the head-start it had about two decades ago in Swallow Birds Nest farming on a commercial scale, Indonesia supplies between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of the delicacy consumed worldwide, mainly in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Macau, Singapore and North America.

From the public health angle, Swallow Birds Nest houses are said to have the potential to spread diseases from bird droppings within an enclosed area and sewage, which are dumped into city drains.

The dried bird droppings have also been attributed to cause lung infections.

Apart from not allowing residents, hotel and restaurant operators and other businesses to operate in a healthy environment, Swallow Birds Nest houses are also being feared in George Town for its potential to cause damage to properties and result in the devaluation of these units.

In 2008, the Swallow Birds Nest industry was worth RM1 billion with unpackaged Swallow Birds Nest fetching up to RM7,000 per kg.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar had recently said the guidelines for Swallow Birds Nest farming were aimed at reducing red tape by making licensing easier.

He said the Department of Veterinary Services, which prepared the guidelines, were simplifying the process of obtaining approvals with the Health Ministry, Department of Environment, Wildlife and National parks Department, Farmers’ Organisation Authority and local authorities.

Among others, Noh said the guidelines encompassed the good husbandry practices, good manufacturing practice and edible Swallow Birds Nest certification.

They also cover import and export approvals, coordination by the department of city and town planning, registration and licensing.

George Town is currently home to an estimated 300 Swallow Birds Nest farms, which are said to be operating out of shophouses. The majority of these operators are believed to not have any licences to operate the business in the city.

The state authorities are now being asked to move fast to prevent further noise, smell, property damage and unsanitary conditions, which are now associated when Swallow Birds Nest farms over shophouses in George Town.

In stressing that they are not calling for a ban of Swallow Birds Nest farming in Malaysia, Penang activists are simply asking for the activities to be banned from urban and residential areas, so that the safety of residents and tourists is ensured.

All it takes now is for a special area or zone to be designated for swiftlet operations and allow the industry to soar and rake in the high investments it is touted to yield.