A worker checks a bird's nest in a cave of the Cham Islands. — Photo courtesy of Quang Nam Newspaper

After four years of preparations, the National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam has granted Geographical Indication (GI) to the Cham Islands bird’s nest products.

The Hoi An City People’s Committee, which has jurisdiction over the islands, said the product contributed 20 per cent to the city’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) annually.

A report from the Ministry of Science and Technology said the bird's nests are seen as one of the best products in Viet Nam due to their high nutritional value with 50 per cent protein.

The year-round cool climate and well-protected terrain on the islands naturally create the best quality for the salangane product, the report unveiled.

The GI recognition will help improve the product's brand and protect it from being mixed with other bird's nest products from Khanh Hoa and Binh Dinh provinces.

The management board of bird's nest production on Cu Lao Cham Islands said the exploitation of birds’ nest earned 1.3 tonnes of raw product worth VND80 billion ($3.5 million) per year.

Currently, a kilo of bird's nest costs from $1,000 to $6,000.

Hoi An is focusing on traditional production of the islands’ bird's nest products to create luxury products rather than mass industrial processing.

Last year, the city established a rescue centre in Mui Dua Cave in an attempt to rescue the thousands of baby swallows that fall from their nests each year.

April and August is the main time of bird's nest collection at three caves on three islets of Kho, To Vo and Ca of the islands.

The GI recognition also covers the brand protection and labels product from different caves on eight islets.

Forty-two out of 63 provinces and cities in Viet Nam participate in the swift breeding industry with a total of 20,000 birdhouses and an annual volume of approximately 120 tonnes, worth about $450 million. — VNS