A new law makes it illegal to sell certain body parts from bears that have been hunted in the wild.
Animal rights advocates and groups that represent hunters in Vermont supported the law. It was part of a larger agriculture bill that Gov. Phil Scott signed at the end of last month.
Mike Covey is with the group Vermont Traditions Coalition, which advocates for hunting and land-use rights. He said the group supports the new law.
“We don’t want financial gain to be the primary reason that somebody would come here to hunt a bear, you know. There needs to be more validity to it than that," Covey said.
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said they have investigated cases where people from out of state have approached hunters to purchase bear paws, as well as gallbladders, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Lt. Robert Currier of the Fish and Wildlife Department said the law will help prevent the practice.
“Anytime that there’s a black market that exists to exploit wildlife, it creates issues where wildlife could be potentially taken, just for those parts, and we’re trying to combat those issues from arising in our state," Currier said.
The new law will take effect on July 1.
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