PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Washington restaurant owner has been sentenced following an investigation into illegal trafficking of black bear parts, authorities announced Monday.
Officials said 54-year-old Skagit County resident Yan Li was sentenced in late August to 45 days of confinement along with a $1,800 fine after pleading guilty to a Class C felony of unlawful wildlife trafficking.
The case goes back to 2020, when the Skagit County Health Department alerted officers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife of possible restaurant code violations after several dead waterfowl were found outside of Li’s restaurant, officials said.
WDFW confirmed that Li’s restaurant was not selling the birds and cited Li for possession of wildlife without a statement and required a court fine in December 2020.
Late the next year, the health department again received complaints, prompting an investigation by WDFW police. Undercover officers said they determined Li had illegally purchased whole waterfowl and black bear parts – including 13 gallbladders, six livers, and 24 paws with claws still attached.
According to WDFW, black market prices for bear gallbladders and other parts can go for a couple hundred dollars locally or for thousands of dollars overseas.
“The perceived medicinal value creates an increased demand for the species and their body parts, which threaten the long-term survivability of a population by overharvesting,” said Brad Rhoden, WDFW Police Captain. “Beyond being illegal, it’s highly concerning to unethically waste black bears, or any wildlife for that matter, for nothing more than a few body parts being sold on the black market.”
According to wildlife officials in Nova Scotia, Canada, bile from a bear’s gallbladder has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, with historical records linking it to treatment for infections and intestinal, liver, and cardiac illnesses, among other conditions. It has also been found to be effective in treating liver cirrhosis, gallstones, and, on a trial basis, high cholesterol. Other beliefs claim that eating other bear parts can increase strength or vitality.
“Buying and selling of bear gallbladder and certain other bear parts is unlawful in Washington state,” added Scott Halloran from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, who prosecuted the case on behalf of WDFW Police. “There was no doubt a conviction would be given due to the excellent investigation performed by WDFW on this case.”
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