Participants took photos.

Purpose

The Forum on Bears is an idea of ​​the World Animal Protection Organization, to create a space for discussion, sharing of experiences and solutions to end the bile farming in Asia, thereby promoting promote cooperation to support together to end bear bear exploitation and bear conservation in the wild. This is the first time the forum has been held in Vietnam after twice being held in China (2016, 2017).

Content to share and discuss

1. Overview of bear bile capturing industry and the use of wildlife in traditional medicine

Mr. Gilbert M. Sape - Global Campaign Manager: Bear and Traditional Medicine, World Animal Protection Organization, gave an overview of the bear bile industry as well as activities aimed at marking end this activity in Asia, from which to conclude to end the bear farming activities by:

• Bears are wild animals, not on farms.
• Bear bile is not necessary because there are now more effective alternative medicines and herbs.
• Raising bears to obtain bile is cruel and illegal.
• Breeding bears has no conservation value because bears born in captivity will lose their instinct to survive in the wild.

Ms. Jung Mi Lee - Member of Korean Parliament gave a speech about Korea's experience in protecting bears.

2. Attempts to end bear bile farming in Vietnam

According to Mr. Karanvir Kukreja - Campaign Manager: Wildlife (Bear), World Animal Protection Organization, over the past 12 years, authorities and NGOs and the community have had Many efforts have been made to end the bear bile farming in Vietnam.

• Policy activities and support from all levels such as amending legal documents on bear protection, building a competent contingent of law enforcement officers ...
• Monitor and protect bear populations in the wild by maintaining an updated bear database on farms, attaching management chips, and periodic inspections to ensure no bears are hunted from the wild. however on the farms ...
• Strengthen law enforcement, prosecute violations, rescue bears, and apply and use new laws.
• Establishment of Protected Areas and Rescue Centers to ensure good facilities for bears when received.
• Encourage community participation to reduce the demand for bear bile and bear products.
• Strengthen the cooperation of bear bear owners by persuading voluntary transfer, and regularly informing them about the status of bear captivity.
• Promote cooperation among many conservation organizations, especially the Nature Education Center (ENV), World Animal Protection and the Four Paws Foundation, who have jointly developed a roadmap. specifically to end captive bear bile farming.

3. Sharing experiences of managing captive bears in Korea

Delegates from the Korean Parliament and Green Korea United (GKU) shared their experiences and policies to support the cessation of bear bile farming in Korea. Among them, the highlight is the program to encourage bear owners to sterilize bears to ensure that no new bears are born at the bear captive facilities, which was completed in early 2017. As of May 2017, only 660 bears (sterilized) were kept at 36 farms in South Korea. These are also expected to be the last captive bears in this country. This important step was made possible by the efforts of the World Animal Protection Organization, and the GKU in lobbying the Korean Government and bear owners for 14 years.

Delegates attending the roundtable.

4. Management of captive bears in Vietnam

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hiep from Department of Special Use and Protection Forest Management - VNFOREST has released the latest data on the management of captive bears in Vietnam. Currently, there are still 842 bears kept in 268 facilities (16 organizations and 252 households) in 42 provinces. Although there have been remarkable results, Vietnam still faces many challenges along the way to no more captive bears. Since then, many directions have been proposed as follows:

• Monitoring, checking to manage well the captive bears.
• Strengthening advocacy activities for people to voluntarily hand over bears to rescue centers for continued foster care in accordance with the law.
• Resolutely prevent and prosecute criminal responsibility for entities carrying out captive bears without legal documents, ensuring no increase in captive bears and towards a complete termination of farming Illegal bear confinement in Vietnam.
• Develop a bear conservation plan in Vietnam and coordinate with non-governmental organizations to mobilize investment and support the construction of qualified and standard rescue centers to receive bears. People voluntarily hand over, especially in the South.

Conclude

Vietnam used to be a hotspot for bear farming, but over the past 13 years, the bear protection has achieved significant achievements. In July 2017, the Vietnamese government once again pledged to close bear bile farms. In particular, more and more bear owners voluntarily transferred bears to the State without requiring any support, showing a positive change in the awareness of owners of bear farms. about the need to stop this activity.

Therefore, this year's forum is an opportunity for us to share and discuss experiences from countries in the region that have made great strides in managing captive bears, as well as assessing challenges. which Vietnam is facing from which to propose measures, calling for efforts of Vietnam and its partners, including the Natural Education Center (ENV), World Animal Protection Organization (World Animal Protection) and the Four Paws Foundation to promote the end of the cruel and illegal bear captive activity in Vietnam today.

Ending the forum, Mr. Tran The Lien - Director of the Department of Special Use and Protection Forest Management expressed his belief: "Vietnam will soon end the situation of keeping bear captive for bile in the near future."