VietNamNet Bridge – More than 50 celebrities from different fields across the country joined hands with Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) calling for immediate action to eliminate bear farming in Vietnam.

At a press conference in Hanoi on Wednesday, Sept 12, pop star My Linh and comedian and actress Minh Vuong, representing a group of Vietnamese celebrities in sport, film, music, and entertainment, expressed their concerns that bear farming and the inhumane practice of extracting bear bile are threatening the survival of the bears in the wild, both in Vietnam and neghbouring countries.

“Unfortunately, bears have lost their right to live peacefully in nature,” said singer My Linh. “They are hunted and kept in captivity for their bile and other products. If this cruel and inhumane practice continues to happen, I cannot imagine what the future of bears will look like.”

She suggested that the most effective way to put an end to bear farming and trading in Vietnam is by raising public awareness about the species, especially amongst children and youngsters. “My family dose not use bear bile, or other products made from wild animals and I hope that you will do the same thing to protect this species,” she said.

Tran Viet Hung, ENV’s vice director, said bear farming and the bear bile industry have put this species on the verge of extinction, not only in Vietnam but also across the region.

Bear bile has been used in traditional medicines for thousand years and is believed to cure several diseases. But medicine made from bile extracted from caged bears is unethical and may be harmful to human health.

“There are plenty of safer and more humane alternatives to bear bile that make this cruel and illegal practice of exploiting bears completely unnecessary in today’s modern world,” Hung said. “Pledging to put an end to bear farming, not only aims to protect the species in Vietnam, but also to demonstrate Vietnam’s willingness in protecting global biodiversity and the habitat for all species,” he added.

Hung also called on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to reinforce its 2005 commitment to end all bear farming in Vietnam by enforcing bans on bear bile extraction and to work closely with the public and relevant agencies to rapidly phase out bear farming.

Also at the event, ENV announced the winners of a film-making contest entitled ‘Say No to Bear Bile’ which was launched in April with an aim to raise people’s awareness on bears and encourage them to protect the species in Vietnam.

Singer My Linh and actress Minh Vuong presented the People’s Choice award to Dinh Ngoc Thanh. The Excellent Message and Highly Commended awards were also given to Le Hoai Lam and Dong Anh 360 Group, respectively.

A wide variety of activities are also being held in another six majors cities around the country, including Ha Long, Hai Phong, Vinh, Da Nang, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to draw public attention to the issue and encourage people not to consume bear bile and other products made from bears.

Vietnam is home to two rare bear species, including the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and the Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus). Both of these species continue to be threatened with extinction due to illegal poaching and trafficking, as well as their capture for bile and body parts.

It is estimated that nearly 2,400 bears are still being kept on farms, most of them originating from the wild.

VietNamNet/Nhan Dan