I have no words that can describe those stubborn profit driven greedy swiftlet farmers except to tell you that perhaps we can do our part by treating bird's nest the same way as shark's fin.
To NOT consume or buy them at all and try our best to spread the message to the people in China,their biggest customers.
To me the ASNI are really good at dragging their feet on this issue since they love seeing their blast from the 80s ting tong earring president whom they probably tell "you look twenty dear"(yea right) in the papers.
Why don't they themselves live right next door to their farms I wonder?After all she did issue statements in the past that demanded for compensation and disregarded the health of the occupants living in the adjoining shophouses.
If the state government dares to show some balls,I am sure they can pass some legislations to outlaw this industry.Why so quiet when confronted with this?Where's the Lion and his son when you need them?
Anyway,the best nests should come from natural caves,not shophouses whose walls are coated in toxic paint.Better not to harvest at all if you ask me.
One thing I can tell is that I know a celebrity who religiously adhered to the concoction.
She would buy only the best grades.Between the ages of 20 to 40 she did indeed look radiant,glowing and ravishing.
Now that she's pushing 50,she looks her age,with less wrinkles,that's all.No more radiance,beauty ravaged by time.
There is no way you can stop or slow down the curse of ageing because mother earth is after all blessed with gravity.
Not even with the best bird's nest or the scalpel can you stop yourself from looking 50 when you are 50.
Here are 2 articles from todays The Star with regards to the above title.
Would it please you to know that the Spice Garden lady boss(the former Central Market pioneer t-shirt artist) is a council member on the Heritage Trust,oh Miss ghastly supershiny eyeshadow president?
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Bird's Nest Puts Status In The Soup(by Manjit Kaur)
GEORGE TOWN: Malacca and George Town's joint Unesco World Heritage Site status may be in jeopardy due to the conversion of heritage buildings here into swiftlet breeding premises.
Unesco's World Heritage Centre has expressed concern over the matter following a series of reports the organisation had received.
Centre director Francesco Bandarin said,in a letter dated Jan14,the reports stated that there were 200 to 300 swiftlet farms in George Town.
It is believed the reports received by Bandarin had alleged that a number of the farms were located in heritage buildings,notably shophouses.
These shophouses were sealed and continuosly moistened to provide a conducive environment for the swiftlets to the possible detriment of the building fabric.
Badarin urged the authorities in Malaysia ti verify the accuracy of the reports and should the allegations be true,to assess the impact of the situation.
In his letter to Ali,Bandarin pointed out that the World Heritage Committee had in its decision to inscribe the site,singled out the significance of shophouses as an integral part of the heritage twonscape.
The letter was subsequently forwarded to the National Heritage Department and George Town World Heritage Incorporated.
Penang Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said he received the letter as a subtle warning for stakeholders to take action or face the possibility of George Town being delisted as a world heritage site.
Chow said the Penang Municipal Council had identified swiftlet farms run by 121 operators and 128 heritage buildings.A total of 28 new and unregistered farms run by 27 operators had been closed down.
Chow said action to move out the remaining farms was being taken in stages.
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Unesco Raises Swiftlet Issue (by Winnie Yeoh)
Take a walk around certain parts of George Town's inner city such as Kimberley Street and Che Em Street and one will be greeted by the unmistakable twittering of swiftlets in the air.
These calls are not from the actual birds but recordings installed by owners of swiftlet houses to attract more of the avian to roost and breed in these heritage premises.
The small birds are a subject of contention with the state government as George Town's joint Unesco World Heritage Site status with Malacca may be in jeopardy due to the conversion of heritage buildings here into swiftlet breeding premises.
On Jan 14 Unesco issued a letter through Permenant Delegation of Malaysia to Unesco Ali Ab Ghani regarding the swiftlet issue in the inner city.
Association for Swiftlet Nests Industry (ASNI) president Carole Loh said the association had not been informed of the letter issued by Unesco.
We hope the state government will furnish us with a copy of the letter so that we can better understand the concern of Unesco and respond accordingly.
Unesco has heard only one side of the story and it is only fair that we be given the opportunity to tell our side,she said when contacted yesterday.
Loh said that many of the birdhouses were already in existence even before Unesco came in to audit the city in 2007,adding that some are even 20 to 30 years old.
Shouldn't that be considered part of the inner city's living heritage?The houses were here then.It wasn't an issue then why is it an issue now?she asked
Penang Heritage Trust council member Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson said the birds are all inside the houses which are disguised as nice heritage units.
The owners make them look nice outside and people will not realise it is a birdhouse unless they go to the back of the building.The birds usually fly in and out of the buildings in the early morning and late evening,she said.
She said Unesco's warning letter was timely to push things along,adding that Unesco was concerned about this because many people had brought the issue up with them.
Duckett-Wilkinson said she hoped the state government would do something about this.
They need to start showing the people that they are serious about the swiftlet issue,she added.
Bird's nest is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.Swiftlets are responsible for building the saliva nests.
The edible birds nests are among the most expensive animal products in the world.The nests have been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years,most often as bird's nest soup.
To NOT consume or buy them at all and try our best to spread the message to the people in China,their biggest customers.
To me the ASNI are really good at dragging their feet on this issue since they love seeing their blast from the 80s ting tong earring president whom they probably tell "you look twenty dear"(yea right) in the papers.
Why don't they themselves live right next door to their farms I wonder?After all she did issue statements in the past that demanded for compensation and disregarded the health of the occupants living in the adjoining shophouses.
If the state government dares to show some balls,I am sure they can pass some legislations to outlaw this industry.Why so quiet when confronted with this?Where's the Lion and his son when you need them?
Anyway,the best nests should come from natural caves,not shophouses whose walls are coated in toxic paint.Better not to harvest at all if you ask me.
One thing I can tell is that I know a celebrity who religiously adhered to the concoction.
She would buy only the best grades.Between the ages of 20 to 40 she did indeed look radiant,glowing and ravishing.
Now that she's pushing 50,she looks her age,with less wrinkles,that's all.No more radiance,beauty ravaged by time.
There is no way you can stop or slow down the curse of ageing because mother earth is after all blessed with gravity.
Not even with the best bird's nest or the scalpel can you stop yourself from looking 50 when you are 50.
Here are 2 articles from todays The Star with regards to the above title.
Would it please you to know that the Spice Garden lady boss(the former Central Market pioneer t-shirt artist) is a council member on the Heritage Trust,oh Miss ghastly supershiny eyeshadow president?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bird's Nest Puts Status In The Soup(by Manjit Kaur)
GEORGE TOWN: Malacca and George Town's joint Unesco World Heritage Site status may be in jeopardy due to the conversion of heritage buildings here into swiftlet breeding premises.
Unesco's World Heritage Centre has expressed concern over the matter following a series of reports the organisation had received.
Centre director Francesco Bandarin said,in a letter dated Jan14,the reports stated that there were 200 to 300 swiftlet farms in George Town.
It is believed the reports received by Bandarin had alleged that a number of the farms were located in heritage buildings,notably shophouses.
These shophouses were sealed and continuosly moistened to provide a conducive environment for the swiftlets to the possible detriment of the building fabric.
Badarin urged the authorities in Malaysia ti verify the accuracy of the reports and should the allegations be true,to assess the impact of the situation.
In his letter to Ali,Bandarin pointed out that the World Heritage Committee had in its decision to inscribe the site,singled out the significance of shophouses as an integral part of the heritage twonscape.
The letter was subsequently forwarded to the National Heritage Department and George Town World Heritage Incorporated.
Penang Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said he received the letter as a subtle warning for stakeholders to take action or face the possibility of George Town being delisted as a world heritage site.
Chow said the Penang Municipal Council had identified swiftlet farms run by 121 operators and 128 heritage buildings.A total of 28 new and unregistered farms run by 27 operators had been closed down.
Chow said action to move out the remaining farms was being taken in stages.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Unesco Raises Swiftlet Issue (by Winnie Yeoh)
Take a walk around certain parts of George Town's inner city such as Kimberley Street and Che Em Street and one will be greeted by the unmistakable twittering of swiftlets in the air.
These calls are not from the actual birds but recordings installed by owners of swiftlet houses to attract more of the avian to roost and breed in these heritage premises.
The small birds are a subject of contention with the state government as George Town's joint Unesco World Heritage Site status with Malacca may be in jeopardy due to the conversion of heritage buildings here into swiftlet breeding premises.
On Jan 14 Unesco issued a letter through Permenant Delegation of Malaysia to Unesco Ali Ab Ghani regarding the swiftlet issue in the inner city.
Association for Swiftlet Nests Industry (ASNI) president Carole Loh said the association had not been informed of the letter issued by Unesco.
We hope the state government will furnish us with a copy of the letter so that we can better understand the concern of Unesco and respond accordingly.
Unesco has heard only one side of the story and it is only fair that we be given the opportunity to tell our side,she said when contacted yesterday.
Loh said that many of the birdhouses were already in existence even before Unesco came in to audit the city in 2007,adding that some are even 20 to 30 years old.
Shouldn't that be considered part of the inner city's living heritage?The houses were here then.It wasn't an issue then why is it an issue now?she asked
Penang Heritage Trust council member Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson said the birds are all inside the houses which are disguised as nice heritage units.
The owners make them look nice outside and people will not realise it is a birdhouse unless they go to the back of the building.The birds usually fly in and out of the buildings in the early morning and late evening,she said.
She said Unesco's warning letter was timely to push things along,adding that Unesco was concerned about this because many people had brought the issue up with them.
Duckett-Wilkinson said she hoped the state government would do something about this.
They need to start showing the people that they are serious about the swiftlet issue,she added.
Bird's nest is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.Swiftlets are responsible for building the saliva nests.
The edible birds nests are among the most expensive animal products in the world.The nests have been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years,most often as bird's nest soup.
