All bears being raised in captivity in northern Quang Ninh province haveto be transferred to the Tam Dao Bear Rescue Centre in northern VinhPhuc province by the end of May, the Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentMinistry (MARD) has ordered.
The Voice of Vietnam website saidthe order was given after a meeting with the Quang Ninh People'sCommittee and other agencies that sought ways to improve bearprotection.
Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture andRural Development, said that by the end of May all households raisingbears in the northern province would have to complete transferring theanimals to the rescue centre.
He also ordered that all captivebears in the Bai Tu Long National Park are transferred to the rescuecentre by the end this month.
Provincial authorities shouldcontinue implementing an order on the immediate rescue of captive bearsissued by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai last March, Tuan said.
Heasked the authorities to tighten supervision and strictly punish allviolations of the current regulations on wildlife preservation andprotection.
The MARD has asked the Tam Dao Bear Rescue Centre tobear the costs and ensure favourable conditions for the transfer andcare of the bears.
After receiving a report last month from aprivate farm owner in the province's Ha Long City on the death of fourcaptive bears in his custody, autopsies concluded that they had died ofacute pneumonia and inflammatory bowel disease.
Inspectors fromthe provincial Forest Protection Sub-Department have filed a report onthe deaths and taken follow-up steps. The report said that with therecent deaths, plus the death of four other bears on a farm in January,the number of bears in captivity has fallen from several dozen to onlyfive.
Local officials have said that the ongoing spate of beardeaths began in 2014, with 106 died. So far this year, dozens more havedied.
Earlier reports have said that even after over-exploitingthe bears for years, taking bile from their gall bladder that touristsfrom certain countries flocked to consume, farm owners were not willingto hand the exhausted animals over to the authorities for care.-VNA
The Voice of Vietnam website saidthe order was given after a meeting with the Quang Ninh People'sCommittee and other agencies that sought ways to improve bearprotection.
Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture andRural Development, said that by the end of May all households raisingbears in the northern province would have to complete transferring theanimals to the rescue centre.
He also ordered that all captivebears in the Bai Tu Long National Park are transferred to the rescuecentre by the end this month.
Provincial authorities shouldcontinue implementing an order on the immediate rescue of captive bearsissued by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai last March, Tuan said.
Heasked the authorities to tighten supervision and strictly punish allviolations of the current regulations on wildlife preservation andprotection.
The MARD has asked the Tam Dao Bear Rescue Centre tobear the costs and ensure favourable conditions for the transfer andcare of the bears.
After receiving a report last month from aprivate farm owner in the province's Ha Long City on the death of fourcaptive bears in his custody, autopsies concluded that they had died ofacute pneumonia and inflammatory bowel disease.
Inspectors fromthe provincial Forest Protection Sub-Department have filed a report onthe deaths and taken follow-up steps. The report said that with therecent deaths, plus the death of four other bears on a farm in January,the number of bears in captivity has fallen from several dozen to onlyfive.
Local officials have said that the ongoing spate of beardeaths began in 2014, with 106 died. So far this year, dozens more havedied.
Earlier reports have said that even after over-exploitingthe bears for years, taking bile from their gall bladder that touristsfrom certain countries flocked to consume, farm owners were not willingto hand the exhausted animals over to the authorities for care.-VNA
