BIRDS' Nest Soup could soon become a rarer treat as conservationists work to save the swiftlets whose saliva is the traditional delicacy's main ingredient.
A multi-million-dollar industry has grown around nimble collectors who scramble up bamboo poles to harvest 20 million nests a year from caves around Southeast Asia.
Most of the nests come through Hong Kong, which is the global hub for the tiny saucers of saliva extracted from the nests.
The dish they provide then sells in restaurants for $150 to $400 a bowl.
However, this industry and widespread smuggling are driving the birds to extinction. Conservationists are moving to bring in controls and prevent over-harvesting.
A 35-page document on the trade will go before the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Florida in November.
Entitled International Trade in Swiftlet Nests, with special reference to Hong Kong, it gives a full rundown on the effects of the industry.