View: Swiftlets are a real hygenic lot

Wednesday September 2, 2009

I WOULD like to refute the claims made in "It's time to ban farming of swiftlets" (The Star, Aug 28).

While I am not a swiftlets expert nor a degree holder in nutritional science, I do have enough knowledge on this matter since my dad has been involved in swiftlets farming for the past eight years.

Furthermore, with Sitiawan being my hometown, I can confidently say that I have been closer to swiftlets than most people ever will. Regarding bird flu, there has been no reports or slightest evidence of any strain of avian flu virus among the swiftlets. This is mainly due to the practise of good hygiene carried out by the bird itself.

As every one should know by now, these birds feed on insects and get their water supply from the moisture in the air. An interesting fact that most people do not know is that these birds never touch the ground until they die.

The only time it uses its legs is to cling onto its nest when inside the birdhouse. Therefore, it's safe to say that these birds are indeed very hygienic and should cause no harm to humans. These birds have existed for a long time and its nests have been of far more beneficial than harm to mankind.

The claim that droppings will be a problem to the environment is false. Swiftlets are very hygienic and only defecate when they are inside the birdhouse.

Any experienced swiftlets farmer know this, as this is the method commonly used to roughly estimate the number of swiftlets in their "hotel". Therefore, the irritating bird poop on your car windscreen or the building windows does not belong to the swiftlets.

Last but not least is the harvesting of the nests. Most owners will wait until the young swiftlets fledge before harvesting the nests, hoping that the young generation will return and build nests there, just as turtles lay their eggs at the same spot.

However, some greedy farmers may harvest the nests before the young swiftlets fly away, leaving them to die. This act is unethical, not cruel. This will cause future swiftlets to shy away from that particular "hotel" as the survival of their species is not guaranteed.

Lastly, I believe the local council had played its part in controlling the nuisance caused by the tweeters inside the birdhouses. Most birdhouses now play the "music" in accordance with the guidelines - from 7am to 7pm.

All in all, with proper management by the farmers, correct techniques used, and with support from the Government, swiftlets farming can definitely be the next big thing in Malaysia, which in turn will serve as a big boost to the country's economy.

DENNIS GONG W.J.

Sitiawan, Perak.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Opinion 2 September 2009