UK Government supports bear farm ban
Aug 5, 2011
A bill in the South Korean Parliament which could end bear bile farming has received the support of the UK Government.
As a result of lobbying by WSPA and our supporters, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Minister Jeremy Browne has written to us expressing support for our work against bear farming in South Korea and has promised to encourage South Korean officials to ensure that the bill goes through.
We would like to thank everyone who took part in our online action and contacted the Minister on this issue. As a result of your emails Mr Browne has now promised to raise the issue with the South Korean officials and urge them to implement the ban.
Saving South Korean bears
The bill to phase out bear farming was initially tabled in the South Korean Parliament in September last year. This started a process that could result in the phasing out of bear farming industry and save over 1,400 bears that are currently farmed for their bile.
In South Korea bears are bred for slaughter, farmed in tiny cages until they are 10 years old when they are killed and their gall bladder is removed for its bile. The bile is then used in Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM) products.
Together with our local membership society, Green Korea United, WSPA has been lobbying the South Korean Ministry of the Environment to urge them to ban this archaic industry.
The bill has now passed the first crucial stages in the Parliament. It has just been considered by the Environment and Labour Committee which is has passed. This is only one important step in the legislative process left – a parliamentary vote on the issue next year.
Donations support vital work
We are also grateful to everyone who donated to our Stop Bear Bile Fund appeal. We raised an amazing £350,000 that will help us to ensure that our work to phase, what must be one of the worst forms of animal cruelty, can continue.
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