Swiftlet industry players in Sarawak want their own set of rules

By PHILIP HII
philiphii@thestar.com.my

SWIFTLET industry players in Sarawak are planing to formulate a separate set of guidelines for the state instead of following the national guidelines.

Sarawak Bird Nest Suppliers Association deputy president Jesse Tang said yesterday the decision to have a separate set of guidelines was reached after a two-day emergency meeting attended by representatives from seven bird’s nests merchants and bird’s nests suppliers associations in Sarawak.

Tang said his association would prepare the new guidelines which would be more suitable for the development of the swiftlet industry in Sarawak and present them to the Chief Minister’s Department and Sarawak Forestry Department soon.

The meeting also resolved to urge the authorities to allow swiftlet farmers to maintain the existing bird houses which were built in urban centres.

Tang, however, advised the farmers to maintain the original outlook of the buildings (normally shophouses) which they had converted into bird houses and also to ensure the noise level of the bird calls was within the government approved level at 40 decibel (dB).

He advised swiftlet farmers not to build water ponds inside the bird houses which could be breeding grounds for mosquitoe

Tang said his association was willing to assist anyone interested in swiftlet farming.

“We would like to share and impart the knowledge, wealth and benefits derived from swiftlet farming to anyone interested, regardless of race,” he said.

He estimated that there were now 5,000 bird houses in the state and they produced at least 2,500kg of raw bird’s nests valued at about RM8.8mil a month.