 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life. WAVE Journey is your one stop online resource for women oriented businesses and services around the world. WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online resource. |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations, Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
Collectors of Birds' Nests of Koh Petra Marine Park ~
Andaman Sea birds’ nests have been consumed in China for at least 1,500 years and
their export by the collectors of the Malay Peninsula and southern Thailand was well
established by the early 18th century. Nowadays the largest market for them is Hong
Kong, which consumes 100 tonnes of them, worth THB 1,000,000,000, every year. Black
nests sell for an average of THB 10,000 / kilo, whilst perfect white nests can fetch as
much as THB 50,000 / kilo.
their export by the collectors of the Malay Peninsula and southern Thailand was well
established by the early 18th century. Nowadays the largest market for them is Hong
Kong, which consumes 100 tonnes of them, worth THB 1,000,000,000, every year. Black
nests sell for an average of THB 10,000 / kilo, whilst perfect white nests can fetch as
much as THB 50,000 / kilo.
The nest of the swiftlet Collocalia Fuciphaga is highly prized by the Chinese as a powerful
pick-me-up tonic and is typically ingested at the banquets of the rich in the form of bird’s
nest soup. The nests themselves are tiny translucent cups about the size of a small egg.
They are made by the male swiftlet from glutinous threads of its own saliva, which it
weaves into a cup that dries to become thin and translucent like fine porcelain. Chinese
parents feed bird’s nest soup, cooked with chicken broth or coconut milk, to their children
in the belief that it will improve their complexions, promote growth and generally act as a
tonic. Recent research has indeed shown that the nests, which taste rather like noodles,
contain a water-soluble glycoprotein that may promote cell division in the immune system.
pick-me-up tonic and is typically ingested at the banquets of the rich in the form of bird’s
nest soup. The nests themselves are tiny translucent cups about the size of a small egg.
They are made by the male swiftlet from glutinous threads of its own saliva, which it
weaves into a cup that dries to become thin and translucent like fine porcelain. Chinese
parents feed bird’s nest soup, cooked with chicken broth or coconut milk, to their children
in the belief that it will improve their complexions, promote growth and generally act as a
tonic. Recent research has indeed shown that the nests, which taste rather like noodles,
contain a water-soluble glycoprotein that may promote cell division in the immune system.
The low-down
A bird's nest is made in a similar way to fibreglass, with the bird laying lots of threads on
top of each other. A sustainable supply of birds’ nests is ensured and the survival of the
species is protected because nests are collected only when empty. The most productive
island for nests is Koh Petra, from which over 100 kg of nests are collected 3 times in a
good year. After the chicks have flown away the mother will eat the nest in order to
replenish her energy supply. The collectors, of whom there are 60 in the Koh Petra
Marine Park, must find the nest before the mother eats it. Nest collecting is skilled and
dangerous work, high up on the ceilings of the caves which abound on the Thai coast
and its offshore islands. The intrepid collector shins barefoot up rickety trellises of
bamboo scaffolding, ropes and bridges, tapping as he goes to make sure the bamboo is
sound. He lights his way in the black caves with a torch of bark soaked in resin held
between his teeth and uses a special three-pronged tool called a rada to harvest the
nests.
A bird's nest is made in a similar way to fibreglass, with the bird laying lots of threads on
top of each other. A sustainable supply of birds’ nests is ensured and the survival of the
species is protected because nests are collected only when empty. The most productive
island for nests is Koh Petra, from which over 100 kg of nests are collected 3 times in a
good year. After the chicks have flown away the mother will eat the nest in order to
replenish her energy supply. The collectors, of whom there are 60 in the Koh Petra
Marine Park, must find the nest before the mother eats it. Nest collecting is skilled and
dangerous work, high up on the ceilings of the caves which abound on the Thai coast
and its offshore islands. The intrepid collector shins barefoot up rickety trellises of
bamboo scaffolding, ropes and bridges, tapping as he goes to make sure the bamboo is
sound. He lights his way in the black caves with a torch of bark soaked in resin held
between his teeth and uses a special three-pronged tool called a rada to harvest the
nests.