Environment·24.04.2026KI-Zusammenfassung Alaska Village Seeks to Revive Polar Bear Tourism Amid Safety and Cultural Concerns
Kaktovik, Alaska, an Arctic Native village of about 250 people, is negotiating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revive polar bear tourism that brought over 1,000 visitors annually before COVID-19 and a 2021 federal order halted boat tours. Leaders say tourism could be worth millions but must address safety concerns — including increased bear attacks and bears becoming habituated to humans — and protect the community's subsistence way of life.