An Abbotsford man was fined and convicted this morning, November 13, for dealing in bear parts.

Hong Tao Yang, 52, pleaded guilty to three charges under sections of the Wildlife Act following undercover operations in Maple Ridge in 2022 and 2023.

He was fined $8,625 by Judge Nicholas Preovolos in Port Coquitlam Provincial Court.

The court heard how undercover guards approached Yang three times to buy bear claws and knee caps. The court heard he was warned each time that his purchases were illegal.

Yang maintained that he wanted the animal parts for personal use for cultural and traditional purposes, not for commercial reasons.

“By engaging in illegal transactions, Mr. Yang has unknowingly or unwittingly become part of a serious problem, which is the illegal trade in wildlife meat,” Preovolos said, noting that wildlife trafficking creates a market for the product.

“This is not a trivial crime.”

Yang, a scrapyard worker and father of two, has 18 months to pay the fine.

The remaining charge was withheld by the Crown.

Following the ruling, Jordan Ferguson of the BC Conservation Service said the marketing of wildlife parts has become more common.

“I think this is a good precedent for spreading the message that the Office of Protective Service takes these things seriously and that we follow up on reports of human trafficking,” he told reporters.

He said the sentence was consistent with similar convictions in the state.

“Possession of these items is illegal, even if only for personal use,” Ferguson added.

“As the judge said, once you create a market just by buying these products, it can escalate a little bit more, and if more people start doing that, then we’re going to have problems with animal populations.”