Alaskan Native village, Kaktovik, is trying to revive its polar-bear tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal government's decision to halt boat tours to see the bears largely ended the tourism. However, local leaders believe the tourism could be worth millions to the local economy and provide another source of income if guidelines are set to protect its way of life and the bears themselves. The tourism boom began after the 2008 federal designation of polar bears as a threatened species, but regulations imposed by the government began to reduce locals' participation. The rapid warming of the Arctic is melting the sea ice used to hunt seals, and scientists predict that most polar bears could be wiped out by the end of the century.