Buying bear gallbladders brings Burnaby woman $5K fine

A Burnaby, B.C., woman has been fined $5,200 after illegally buying bear gallbladders due to a cultural belief that the organs can treat seizures.

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Court records show Yon Kim was sentenced for two counts of trafficking in bear gallbladders under the Wildlife Act in Port Coquitlam provincial court.

Deputy chief Chris Doyle of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service says Kim was charged after a six-month investigation that began in October 2014.

He says the charges stem from incidents that occurred in Merritt and Coquitlam between October 2014 and March 2015.

Doyle says Kim had a traditional belief that bile in a bear's gallbladder may help someone suffering from seizures.

He says she pleaded guilty to the two charges in February.