Exploitation and harvest of living resources have been shown to pose a threat to arctic biodiversity.Many populations of charismatic arctic species have been over-exploited over the last few hundred years. The history of the slaughter of walruses (''Odobenus rosmarus'') in the North Atlantic and Pacific is well documented, Since around the 1970s, modern management systems, improved control, and changed attitudes have largely diminished threats from sports hunting and harvesting for subsistence purposes. Most of the previously overexploited populations are recovering or showing signs of recovery. However, there are still examples where hunting is a problem. In accordance with the International Polar Bear Treaty, local and indigenous peoples are allowed to hunt polar bears.
Illegal fishing is further cause for concern as the types of people it attracts are generally not concerned about the use of questionable or illegal techniques that can cause the death of non-target species as by-catch. In the past few decades, fishing fleets have grown enormously, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that the more than 3.5 million fishing vessels in the world hauled in 122 million tonnes of fish in 1997, Modern fishing techniques do more than just catch their intended species. Driftnets and longlines are notorious for killing other species, including seabirds and marine mammals. Bycatch, unwanted species that are caught along with the desired ones, makes up a quarter of the hauls that are harvested. Most individuals caught as bycatch do not survive and their bodies are thrown back into the ocean
Extremely few people (only about 10 000) live here, and the majority of the population is Inuit. Most people live through subsistence activities, such as hunting, trapping and fishing, though gas and oil exploration also provide a living for some, as does tourism.