LONDON: The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), a UK-headquartered animal charity with chapters across the globe, last week announced that following the tabling of a bill on September 15 by National Assembly member Hong Heedeok, the South Korean Parliament began the process that could result in the phasing out of South Korea's bear farming industry. Over 1,400 bears are currently held on South Korean bear farms, in horrific captive conditions, to be slaughtered for their bile. The extraction of bile from live bears has been illegal in South Korea since the early 1990s, therefore bears are instead raised to be slaughtered for their bile when they reach 10 years old. Under present South Korean law, this industry is still legal. “The captive conditions have a terrible impact on the physical and psychological well being of the bears”, said the WSPA. “We have witnessed South Korean bears rocking and pacing in their small cages, and seen the severe wounds, sores and stress the caged conditions cause.” The WSPA says 10,000 UK animal welfare supporters wrote messages to the South Korean government asking for an end to the bear farms. The bill is now expected to be considered by the Environment and Labor Committee as well as other relevant Ministries. If it gathers enough support, this process could see South Korea putting a policy in place to end bear farming by the end of 2010. According to the WSPA, some 1,500 bears are being held on farms in South Korea “in horrific captive conditions, to be slaughtered for their bile. Because the extraction of bile from live bears has been illegal in South Korea since the early 1990s, bears are instead raised to be slaughtered for their bile when they reach 10-years-old. Under present South Korean law, this industry is still legal. “The captive conditions have a terrible impact on the physical and psychological wellbeing of the bears. WSPA staff have witnessed South Korean bears rocking and pacing in their small cages, and seen the severe wounds, sores and stress the caged conditions cause,” a statement from the WSPA added. BM
