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This is a proper Bear day! The IUCN motion sponsored by Alertis was passed during the Jeju Conference.The resolution calls for the phase out of bear farming in 4 of the 5 bear farming countries. The big change is that it now does not call for the complete phase-out of bear farming in China, but just a cap on the present number of bears and number of bear farms until we gain more information. The resolution calls for a “scientifically-independent, peer-reviewed situation analysis” (with IUCN involvement) to examine that bears are still being taken out of the wild in China, and that more users have been drawn into the market by the availability of farmed bile. It also calls for establishing “a scientifically-sound monitoring system to track trends in wild bear populations and the factors that drive these changes”. This monitoring system will be reviewed in the independent situation analysis, and results must be reported back at the next WCC. Essentially the situation analysis will look into the economic dynamics of the whole system, breeding success, confiscation records, and other data pertaining to offtake of wild bears. It will not be a Chinese panel done in secrecy, but an open, international effort. The Chinese agreed to this.