Relief for Malacca swiftlet breeders

Tuesday December 29, 2009
The Star
By MARTIN CARVALHO and ALLISON LAI


MALACCA: Swiftlet breeders operating within the historic city’s World Heritage Site heritage zones can breath a sigh of relief — the state has decided to defer the Dec 31 deadline for them to vacate the area.

The reprieve is possible because state authorities are still waiting for guidelines on swiftlet breeding at the 18th century Dutch-styled homes in the city’s core heritage zones.

State Rural Development and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Hidhir Abu Hasan said the situation in Malacca was different from other parts of the country because of heritage concerns.

“Swiftlet breeding and bird’s nest harvesting are regulated by the Agriculture Department and the Veterinary Services Department.

“However, we also have to consider the heritage factor because there are breeders who operate within the heritage zones,” he said.

The state decided to defer the Dec 31 deadline until the Heritage Department issued the guidelines, he said, adding that plans for a proposed relocation site for the affected operators were also on hold.

There are some 100 swiftlet breeders registered with the Malacca Bird’s Nest Merchants Association, 17 of them operating in the heritage zones.

Meanwhile, Malacca Historic City Council mayor Datuk Yusof Jantan said no new licence would be issued for those intending to convert their homes into bird breeding places in the heritage zones.

He noted that the city’s heritage zones were of particular concern to heritage authorities as they belonged to the world in general owing to its WHS status.

Malacca Bird’s Nest Merchants Association president John Chen Joon Onn said he was relieved to learn of the deferred deadline.

“The members in the heritage zones have been worried as their status remained unclear over the last several months despite several meetings with officials here.

“They were told to wait but no deadline was given,” he said.

He hoped that the Heritage Department would allow the present operators to remain in the area as a way to preserve the city’s swiftlet population.

“The birds have been a part of the historic city’s skyline over the past few centuries, even before the streets were built.

“If we get rid of them, we will also be destroying part of the city’s living heritage,” he said.

Locally harvested bird’s nests can fetch between RM1,500 and RM5,000 per kg depending on quality.

Bird’s nest harvesting has spawned a thriving industry, including manufacturing of canned drinks for the local and export markets.