Bear Protection Campaign Organized in Vietnam North Province

The Quang Ninh provincial Department of Forest Management and Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) on August 25 organized a campaign to raise public awareness about the need to protect bears in Ha Long city. The campaign aims to disseminate to all those involved in the breeding and captivity of bears for the benefit of tourism, about the local regulations of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee, the Vietnamese law and international conventions. During the campaign, 10,000 leaflets in Vietnamese, English, Chinese and Korean will be distributed to locals and foreign and domestic tourists with 120 posters prominently displayed along streets in Ha Long city. In addition, many activities will be organized to bring attention to the campaign, such as a bicycle parade by 50 students from Bai Chay secondary school; communicating activities at Bai Chay secondary school; organizing groups of teachers and students of the secondary school to collect signals of relevant groups and individuals in the locality to join hands to protect bears; visiting Vuon Cau and Truong Thinh bear-raising establishments in Ha Khau ward, Ha Long city. According to the statistics of the provincial Department of Forest Management, the province now has 110 bears kept at 14 establishments. The campaign will take place on August 25-29 and a further seven days at the beginning December. (Dangcongsan.vn Aug 27)