Monday, November 5, 2007

Penang: Local Council Guidelines on Birdnest Farming

Taken From SMC Forum at: http://groups.google.com/group/swiftlet/browse_thread/thread/53a48857fe4687e5

Title : Penang Gov Implemented swiftlet Farming Guidelines, violators license will be revoked.

From Jan 1st , Penang Gov . officially implements swiftlet farming guidelines, farmers shall complies to all the local gov./council's requirement prior to operation, the said guidelines also contains guidelines for the farm house and other licensing requirements. Violators will not have the license renewed, and will be punish under the relevant guidelines.

These licenses are for the period of one years from Jan 1st to Dec 31st.
The require license are:

1) Nest collection license RM 200

2) Wildlife commercial license RM150

3) Wildlife import/export license RM100 every kilogram

4) Farm building's commercial license with local council

Under the guidelines, farm building must not be more then 18 meter in height, encourage to be painted rice-white color externally.

From file img-116sm.jpg Under the guideline, guonos ( bird shit) must be collected and dispose off outside of the farm house periodically, owner must ensure it does not cause foul smell, contamination to surrounding.

Owner also need to ensure the farm's cleanliness so not lead to , foul smell, flies, mosquito or disease.

Other then ensuring farm cleanliness, owner also need to ensure the overall looks/fells (cosmetically I think )of the building, rice-white color for external are encourage for ease of identification.

Farm located on agriculture land needs to apply for land usage conversion from the relevant authority.

Guidelines also stipulates that residential areas are not allow for farming purpose, historical building publicly declares as Warisan Heritage too are prohibited from farming usage.
No ground floor should be used for farming unless with consent from local Gov., special consideration given to those building that has been left empty for a period of time.

Farm house should not be more then 18 meter in height ( approximately 5 storeys), during renovation, any structural change will require engineering consultant's approval for structural integrity.

Local Gov/council 's approval on drawing are needed for any extension/expansion of existing farm building.

Under the guidelines, bird calling sound broadcasting must be between 7am to 7pm, volume not exceeding 40 db, speaker must be pointing at least 60 degrees skyward, and 6 meters away from walls.

Farm house must maintain cleanliness , must have a rubbish bin with covers that is large enough to cater for the needs of the farm , all rubbish can be loaded in to plastic bag before put into rubbish bin and dispose off later.

A light must be install at the external of the farm . Owner must install modern devices to control the humidity and temperature of the farm, no water pool/pond/ water tank inside the farm , no stagnant water on the floor.

Other requirements includes :

1)Floor and lower part of the wall must be water proof to prevent seeping through of contaminants.

2) Owner must comply with all local gov./council/dept's guidelines.

3) Owner must renew their license every years, the authority has the right not to renew license.

The authority can bring to court violators under the following act/law/ regulations 1976 City /Town planning act ,section 27, 1974 Road/drainage & building act , section 70(1), (12) & (13) 1974 Road/drainage & building act, section 79 1974 Road/drainage & building act, section 84 1975 Extermination of disease born insects act 1972 Wild life protection act (76)

Existing farm in residential area will have 3 years time frame to move to a legal farm. Bird calling sound volume in existing residential area should not more then 20db.

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