Bear gallbladder sale in North America

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Bear gallbladder sales spark concern, debate

 

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Luke Broadwater, The Examiner

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Nov 25, 2006 3:00 AM (2 days ago)

Current rank: *Not ranked*

BALTIMORE - Harvesting the gallbladders of black bears is an ancient Asian

medical practice that causes concern and debate in the United States and in

Maryland, experts say.

 

" It's pretty widespread, " said Julie Janovsky, of the International Fund for

Animal Welfare. " Illegal poaching is going on throughout the country. "

 

Two Maryland hunters pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in

Baltimore to importing black bear bladders for use in Chinese herbal

medicine.

 

Authorities charged Terence Beaulac, 39, and Richard Dempsey, 38, after they

were caught with nine bladders while returning from a hunting trip to

Saskatchewan, Canada, in June 2005, according to an agreed-upon statement of

facts.

 

The men planned to sell the organs for between $50 to $100, prosecutors

said.

 

Beaulac and Dempsey face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a

$250,000 fine.

 

People opposed to the harvest of bear gallbladders say it is cruel and

inhumane to animals.

 

Former U.S. Rep. Helen Bentley, who fought against the practice while in

Congress, said the practice is a " sin. "

 

" It's sinful that they kill these big beautiful animals to get their

bladders to sell in China and Korea, " she said.

 

But Tony Nette, the manager of Wildlife Resources in the Canadian province

of Nova Scotia, where selling bear gallbladders is legal, said the body

parts are considered to have a good medicinal value by many Asian societies.

 

" It's used to treat everything from headaches to hemorrhoids. And apparently

it's pretty effective, " he said. " In Nova Scotia, if you kill the bear, you

have the right to use the parts. "

 

Legal or not, the bear gallbladder trade is noticeable across the United

States, said Ed Grace, Special Agent with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

" Catching people for gallbladders is not an unusual occurrence, " he said.

 

lbroadwater < lbroadwater