Brown bears were once subject to hunting and big game trophies, as well as being sought for their meat and hides.
Bear gall bladders reportedly bring high prices on the Asian aphrodisiac market, but although demand is growing, there is no evidence that products derived from bear parts have medical value.
Other serious threats to bears are habitat destruction and persecution, problems that affect populations to different extents across their range.
For example, grizzly bears are now found only in 2% of their former range. Logging, mining, road construction and other developments have reduced available bear habitat and contributed to the decrease in bear populations.
In some countries, human/bear conflict has caused problems, particularly in areas where bears can interefere with livestock, orchards, water supplies and garbage bins.