Fw: CITES acts to safeguard bears as bear bile farming expands in China

[Guest guest]

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" Jonathan Owen " <jonathanowen

" Jonathan Owen " <jonathanowen

Thursday, 14 November, 2002 22:52

URGENT NEWS STORY 14/11/2002: CITES acts to safeguard bears as bear

bile farming expands in China

 

 

Santiago, Chile: Today's decision by a meeting of the Convention of

International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to safeguard bears from

illegal trade has been welcomed by the World Society for the Protection of

Animals (WSPA). This action by CITES is particularly significant in the

light of increasing evidence that China is dramatically increasing its bear

bile industry and shows no real intention of closing down its farms.

 

The continuing expansion of bear bile farming, which threatens every living

bear by fuelling the worldwide demand for their parts, comes in spite of a

ban on the international trade in bear products and growing protests against

the cruelty of keeping thousands of bears in cages and draining their bile

from open wounds.

 

The decision to maintain a series of measures aimed at stopping the illegal

trade in bears (CITES Resolution Conference 10.8) follows sustained lobbying

by WSPA.

This will mean that countries with wild populations and/or where bear

products are consumed will now have to report to CITES on the action being

taken to stop illegal trade. CITES accepted a proposal put forward by

Georgia, supporting WSPA's calls for action against the illegal

international trade in bear bile products as revealed in WSPA's 'Bear Bile

Business' report.

 

WSPA also welcomes a decision by CITES to include animal welfare as a

criteria by which captive breeding facilities of endangered species

(ie.those listed on Appendix I of CITES) will be registered. This should

ensure that bear bile farms, which are intrinsically inhumane, would be

unable to circumvent the current ban on international trade by registering

as captive breeding facilities.

 

Victor Watkins, WSPA's Libearty Campaign Director, said, " The aggressive

international marketing of bear bile for use in Traditional

and other products is an increasing threat to bears in the wild and those

incarcerated on bear bile farms in China. We are delighted that CITES

recognises this threat and is taking action to stop this trade. This will

help to maintain the level of protection for a species that is under attack

by the demands of an international commercial market. "

 

-ends-

 

For further information, interviews with WSPA delegates to CITES, copies of

'The Bear Bile Business', colour photographs and/or broadcast quality

footage, contact:

Santiago, Chile: Phil Wilson/Dragan Nastic; UK Mobile 00 44 (0)7900 224 801

London, UK: Jonathan Owen/Debra Ashton; 0207 587 5000 (07801 386670)