ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for trafficking dozens of bear gall bladders against tribal law.

Multiple media outlets reported Thursday that Clement Calhoun will face a year of supervised release after serving his sentence. Calhoun also is barred from hunting or holding a hunting license. He could have faced up to two years in prison

Prosecutors say Calhoun violated the Cherokee legal code by selling bear parts off the reservation in 2005.

The government says the bile from the bear’s gall bladder is prized for its medicinal purposes in some Asian cultures.

Animal experts say the demand for bear gall bladders could threaten North Carolina’s large black bear population.