Fw: embargoed news story and visuals re.CITES/illegal bear trade

[Guest guest]

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" Jonathan Owen " <jonathanowen

" Jonathan Owen " <jonathanowen

Thursday, 24 October, 2002 02:40

embargoed news story and visuals re.CITES/illegal bear trade

PRESS RELEASE

 

New report identifies China's bear bile farms as playing a key role in the

illegal global bear trade

 

A new report released today by the World Society for the Protection of

Animals (WSPA) reveals how existing international laws protecting endangered

species are failing to control an illegal multi-million dollar international

trade in bear parts that is a threat to the very survival of all bear

species. Bear products are in great demand by some users of traditional

Chinese medicine, who regard them as a cure-all.

 

The report, 'The Bear Bile Business', is based on a three year investigation

of hundreds of shops and companies in conjunction with WSPA member societies

in eight countries (USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia,

Singapore and Taiwan).

 

Investigators have discovered bear products openly on sale in over 70% of

places surveyed in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the USA, closely followed

by Canada (68%), Indonesia (62%), Australia (49%) and Taiwan (30%). Other

countries implicated in the illegal trade of bear products include the

Philippines, Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, India, Pakistan and Vietnam.

 

China's notorious bear bile farms are at the very heart of this illegal

trade. Over 7,000 bears are kept alive on more than 200 farms in China,

where they are 'milked' for their bile from open wounds. This agonising

process causes severe distress, with some bears resorting to chewing their

paws to cope with the pain. These animals endure appalling levels of

cruelty and neglect and are kept in tiny metal cages where they are often

unable to stand straight.

 

The farms are helping to accelerate the demise of bears in the wild, as more

are sought to replace those slowly dying on the farms where they may only

survive to the age of ten, a third of the life expectancy of a wild bear.

In Japan alone, WSPA estimates that at least 200 kg of bear bile is consumed

annually; this could represent several thousand dead wild bears. Trade in

bear bile products is highly profitable, with bear bile costing around $15 -

$20 per gram on the international market (in contrast to the average of

$0.24 per gram it is sold for by bear bile farms in China). The highest

price found was in Japan, where some bear bile was being sold for over $252

per gram. Even using conservative estimates, the annual production of bear

bile in China is worth in excess of $100 million (at average international

prices).

....cont./

 

 

This trade contravenes the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species (CITES) and a WSPA delegation will be lobbying CITES to take urgent

action at an international meeting being held in Santiago, Chile, from 3rd

to 15th November 2002. WSPA's delegation will be calling for greater

protection for all bear species with more effective and stricter controls on

the international trade.

 

China is playing a leading role in fuelling the market for bear products.

Today, it is estimated that 7,000 kg of bear bile is produced in China each

year, of which only around 4,000 kg are actually consumed in the country

itself. In recent years, there has been a dramatic growth in the

production of bear bile products, which has spawned a market for a whole new

range of items, such as shampoo and wine, far removed from the formulations

of traditional Chinese medicine.

 

Victor Watkins, Director of WSPA's Libearty campaign, said, " Our findings

show how bears are the victim of a blatant illegal trade that has put a

price on the head of every living bear. China's bear bile farms are a root

cause of this problem and urgent action needs to be taken to stop the trade

and close down these farms, which have nothing to do with tradition or

culture and everything to do with profit and loss. "

 

-ends-

 

For further information, interviews, copies of 'The Bear Bile Business',

colour photographs and/or broadcast quality footage, please contact:

 

Jonathan Owen/Debra Ashton

WSPA 0207 587 5000 (out of hours 07801 386670)

 

Editors' notes

 

1. WSPA is an international animal protection charity

recognized by the United Nations. WSPA has hundreds of thousands of

supporters, a network of offices and more than 420 member societies in 90

countries. WSPA works to campaign against cruelty by exposing animal abuse

and enforcing stronger laws; to save abandoned animals or those stricken by

disasters; and promote humane education and training to encourage respect

for animals and improve standards of animal care.

 

2. The following WSPA member societies have conducted a variety

of investigations as part of 'The Bear Bile Business' report:

Singapore - AnimalWatch; Animal Concerns Research and Education Society

(ACRES); Animal Conservation for Life (KSBK), Indonesia; Environment and

Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST); Japan Wildlife Conservation Society (JWCS);

Thai Animal Guardians Association (Thai AGA)