We’re a huge step
closer to ending the country’s bear bile industry, which involves painfully
extracting bile from bears for use in traditional medicine
The province of Hanoi, Vietnam, is a hotspot
for captive bears and has a high concentration of farms, and is where the 210
captive bears were re-microchipped. It was completed in partnership
with the Hanoi Forest Protection Department.
A 12-year campaign
In 2005, along with Vietnam’s Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and our local partner Education for
Nature Vietnam (ENV), we began inserting microchips in more than 4,300
captive bears on hundreds of farms throughout the country with the
best technology available at the time.
This was the first step in a strategic
campaign to phase out bear farming in Vietnam, and help prevent any new bears
entering farms. The new, improved technology recently used will allow for
better monitoring, as it’s not necessary to anaesthetise bears for their
microchip to be read.
Now, after successfully re-microchipping 210
captive bears in July, all known captive bears in the province who are
medically fit have been microchipped. There were just two bears who could not
undergo the process, however we hope to microchip them soon.
This is a huge win, as it will restrict new
bears from entering bear bile farms in Hanoi, as registration and microchips
are required. It also allows for better monitoring of farms for illegal
activities, and will mean an end to the industry in the not-too-distant future.
If a bear is found at a farm without a
microchip or appropriate registration paperwork, it is confiscated and taken to
a rescue centre or sanctuary.
Dramatic decrease in bears used for their bile
The number of captive bears farmed for their
bile in Vietnam has decreased from 4,300 in 2005 to less than 1,300 in
2015, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
This is thanks to improved laws which make it
more difficult for farmers to capture bears from the wild, better enforcement
of these laws, and persistent campaigning by us and other organisations.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development has publicly committed to help end the bear bile industry.
Mrs Bui Thi Ha, director of policy and
legislative campaigns at ENV said: "Bear bile farming is coming to an end.
"We are continuing to work hard to
expedite an end to bear bile farming, working hand in hand with government,
local law enforcement and members of the public to see this through to
completion."
Continuing the fight for bears
This latest round of -microchipping of 210
bears is part of a new strategy developed by a team of organisations including
us, Education for Nature Vietnam, Four Paws International, Four Paws Vietnam,
and in partnership with the Vietnamese government.
This new strategy will continue work to ensure
the cruel bear bile industry ultimately ends. It will expand the
re-microchipping programme to other key provinces in Vietnam where there are
high concentrations of captive bears and bear bile farms.
Public opinion on bear bile is shifting
Incredibly, bear bile use in Vietnam has
dropped by more than 60% since 2005.
This achievement from the public works hand in
hand with the huge reduction of bears in farms, and is a clear sign that bear
bile farming is coming to an end.
Karanvir Kukreja, our campaign manager, said: "Our efforts since 2005 have
achieved substantial progress and success, but this fight is not over until
every bear is protected and the bear bile industry is finished for good in
Vietnam."
FROM THE DESK OF ANIMAL RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA
www.worldanimalprotection.org/news/end-sight-vietnams-cruel-bear-bile-industry-210-more-bears-are-microchipped
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