Breaking News Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) recently introduced H.R. 5534, the Bear Protection Act of 2008 to prohibit the import, export and interstate commerce in bear viscera, such as gall bladders and bile.  Click here to learn more >>

Protect Bears.
Help end bear farming in Asia.

Bears suffer when they are removed from their natural environment and kept in captivity. At least 12,000 bears are kept on bear farms in China, Korea and Vietnam, where they are held in cages about the size of a telephone booth placed on its side in order to extract their bile.

WSPA is working to end this suffering by ending bear farming in Asia. In February 2005, WSPA secured an historic agreement with the Vietnamese authorities in which the government stated its commitment to end bear farming in Vietnam. WSPA has agreed to help them with their ongoing public awareness campaign and national micro-chipping program.

A Threat to Wild Bears

While bear farming was originally forecast to reduce the number of bears poached from the wild, it is feared that bear farming is having a negative impact on wild bears in China and around the world, as the bear farming industry stimulates demand for bile. No evidence exists that bear farms reduce hunting and poaching of wild bears or that they ever will – bile from wild bears is perceived to be more potent and is sold for a higher price.

Herbal Alternatives

Bear bile has been used in traditional Asian medicine for over 3,000 years to treat ailments ranging from fevers to heart disease. Today, it is on its way out of use, with increasing support among the traditional Asian medicine communities for alternatives to bear bile. Herbal and synthetic alternatives to bear bile are already broadly available and widely used throughout the world. As part of our ongoing collaboration and outreach, WSPA worked with traditional Asian medicine practitioners to identify alternatives and publish a guide to herbal alternatives.

Illegal Trade

Since the advent of bear farming, the production of bear bile has increased ten fold, with much of the surplus finding its way onto the global market. Due to dwindling populations of many species of bears, international commerce in bear bile is prohibited by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Although China, Korea and Vietnam have all signed on to the treaty, WSPA investigations reveal that the illegal trade continues.

In the U.S. the Lacey Act and a patchwork of state laws are used to control the bear bile trade. However, WSPA believes that further legislation would be of aid to law enforcement agencies and ultimately provide for less of an outlet for farmed bear bile.

Read about WSPA's recent investigation into the illegal bear bile trade in the U.S. and abroad >>

NEW!  Read about WSPA's supplemental report on the domestic trade in bear parts and products >>

Take Action!

Introduced by U.S. Representatives Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ), the Bear Protection Act of 2008 (H.R. 5534) would prohibit the import, export and interstate trade in bear viscera, including gall bladders and bile.  Federal legislation is desperately needed to close existing loopholes in a patchwork of state laws.

Contact your U.S. Representative and urge them to co-sponsor and pass H.R. 5534, the Bear Protection Act of 2008>>  

Don't know who to contact? Visit www.house.gov or www.senate.gov or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.