UNING PAUN¹

The trade of the edible birds’ nests in Sarawak includes collecting, selling, buying, importing and exporting, and has contributed to government revenue in the State. Under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998 and its subsidiary legislation the Wild Life Protection (Edible Birds’ Nest) Rules 1998, all swiftlets are legally protected in Sarawak. Thus, all collection, selling, buying, imports and exports of birds’ nests requires a licence. Implementation of these laws falls under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department. Two other Government agencies are also involved, namely the Agriculture and Customs Departments.

The Forest Department issues licences for collecting, trading, exporting and importing of edible birds’ nests. Collecting and trading licences cost RM100 per year. Licences to import and export processed birds’ nests cost RM50 per kg, and those to import unprocessed birds’ nests are RM2 per kg.

The function of the Agriculture Department is to issue a health certificate in accordance with Section 9 (1) of the Public Health Ordinance 1999. The fee is RM10 per consignment (Mdm Ranie, personal communication).

The Customs Department imposes a 5% sales tax on the total quantity of birds’ nests imported or exported. All imports and exports of birds’ nests must be declared to this department (Joseph Melayu, personal communication).

The aim of this study was to compile and compare the records of the different types of licences related to the birds’ nest trade as issued by the different government agencies. This was to assess how accurate were the licensing and enforcement procedures of the different agencies, and to determine whether the maximum revenue was therefore being collected.

In June 2001, 181 collecting licences and 164 trading licences had been issued by the Forest Department. This was a decline of 32 licences from 1999 (Table 1).

Table 1. Number of valid edible birds’ nests trading licences in 1999 and 2001. Data for 1999 from Sim and Dagang (1999).

The records for imports of edible birds’ nests by the different government departments varied greatly from each other. In 1998, the Agriculture Department record of 5,180 kg of birds’ nests was 79% higher than that of the Forest Department. Conversely, the Customs Department recorded 1,811kg less than the Forest Department. In 1999, both the Agriculture and Customs Departments recorded more birds’ nest imports than did the Forest Department, although even their figures differed greatly from each other: the Agriculture Department recorded 10,941kg and Customs Department 2,928kg, or 131% and 36% more than the Forest Department respectively. In 2000, again both the Agriculture Customs Departments’ records were higher than the Forest Department, with the former recording 3,894kg or 25% more, and the latter recorded 4,873 kg or 31% more (Table 2 and Figure 1).

Table 2. Weight of processed and unprocessed edible birds’ nests imported into Sarawak in 1998, 1999 and 2000, according to the records of the different relevant government agencies. All weights are in kg.

The recorded exports of birds’ nests by the Customs Department from 1998 to 2000 were always higher than those of the Forest Department. In 1998, Customs recorded 7,391kg or 578% higher; in 1999, 8,504 kg or 810% higher, and in 2000, 8,456 kg or 514% higher (Table 3 and Figure 2). Thus, from 1998 to 2000, the Forest Department has lost an average of RM405,850 from the average of 8,117kg of birds’ nests exported illegally without a licence issued under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance.

Table 3. Weight of edible birds’ nests exported from Sarawak in 1998, 1999 and 2000, according to the records of the different relevant government agencies. All weights are in kg. Source of data: Forest Department and Statistics Department.

The study shows there was a decrease in the number of birds’ nest trading licences issued, from 196 in 1999, to 164 by June 2001.

The figures on the imports and exports of birds’ nests as recorded by the three relevant government agencies were very different. The figures suggested that huge quantities of birds’ nests were exported or imported with licences from the Agriculture and Customs Departments, but with no proper legal documents from the Forest Department.

Lack of proper monitoring systems by the Forest Department for both imports and exports of birds’ nests could be the main factors that might have led to the illegal trading of birds’ nests to and from Sarawak. Moreover, both the Agriculture and Customs Departments seldom refer to the Forest Department regarding the procedures for trading birds’ nests.

All three government agencies involved should sit down together to discuss all matters pertaining to procedures on the import and export of birds’ nests. This would help to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding on procedures or policy matters pertaining to the trade of the nests. The Agriculture and Customs Departments should always keep in touch with the Forest Department whenever they encounter any problems relating to the trade of birds’ nests.

Leh, C. M. U. (1999). Edible birds’ nests towards the year 2000: the Sarawak scenario. Hornbill 3: 92-96.

Lim, C.K. (1999). Sustainable management and conservation of the white-nest swiftlet of Sarawak, Hornbill 3: 74-84.

Sim, L.K. and Dagang, P. (1999). Existing information on birds’ nest production and trade: can it be used as tool for management? Hornbill 3: 86-91.

Wildlife Conservation Society and Sarawak Forest Department (1996). A Master Plan for Wildlife in Sarawak. Wildlife Conservation Society and Sarawak Forest Department, Kuching.