New law soon to regulate birds' nest industry

SITIAWAN (Perak) - A new law will soon be enacted to regulate the trade in birds' nests as more and more businessmen are now venturing into the new sector, said Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Law Hieng Ding.

Utusan Malaysia yesterday reported him as saying that the industry has a lot of prospects for commercialisation.

''This is a new profitable industry and if it is administered well, it can bring income to the country through foreign exchange with the export of birds' nests,'' he said.

Mr Law said that he had received the draft of the legal amendments from the National Parks and Wildlife Protection Department (Perhilitan), which need to be studied in detail before they can be passed.

He was speaking to reporters after a visit to the birds' nest industrial centre in Manjung, Perak.

According to him, the growing interest among Malaysians to venture into the industry will also encourage the government to develop it in a systematic manner by issuing valid licences.

When the laws and guidelines are passed in Parliament, he said, anybody can grab the chance to enter the trade, which has a worldwide market.

Late last year, many businessmen in several Perak districts - Parit Buntar, Taiping and Sitiawan - ventured into the industry, with some buying disused buildings to turn them into conducive places for swifts to make their nests.

It was reported that the nests of the swifts, which are made from their saliva, can sell for RM5,000 (S$2,300) a kilogram.

The businesses became so lucrative that gangsters were said to have extorted money and beat up the traders. Thirteen suspects had been arrested so far.