Sask. woman fined $12,000 for illegal trafficking of bear parts

A woman from Maidstone, Sask., has been fined and suspended from hunting after pleading guilty to trafficking and illegally transporting bear parts.

The trafficking involved black bear paws and gall bladders, according a news release from the provincial government. Those items are commonly sold on the black market and are often used in traditional Asian medicine.

The investigation began in March 2022 after the general investigations section of the Ministry of Community Safety (previously called corrections, policing and public safety) received a tip about suspected trafficking of bear gall bladders.

Conservation officers launched their investigation in Maidstone, about 50 kilometres east of Lloydminster, before expanding into British Columbia.

On Nov. 24, Weol Ran Lee of Maidstone pleaded guilty to trafficking in wildlife, including black bear paws and gall bladders, the news release said. She was fined $7,000 and received a five-year hunting suspension.

Lee also pleaded guilty to unlawfully transporting wildlife parts between provinces after purchasing bear paws illegally in Saskatchewan and taking them into Alberta. That offence resulted in an additional $5,000 fine, and she is prohibited from possessing bear parts for five years.

A second individual — a family member of Lee's — also pleaded guilty in British Columbia in August to unlawful possession and wildlife trafficking involving bear parts. That person was fined $9,875, the news release said.

Wildlife trafficking undermines lawful hunting, devalues public natural resources and can negatively affect wildlife populations and ecosystem health, the news release said.

Officials are reminding the public that citizen tips play an important role in protecting wildlife and supporting enforcement efforts.