RESOLUTE BAY, Nunavut, April 27 (UPI) -- The United States is considering listing the polar bear as an endangered species, a move that could put Inuit guides out of business in Canada.

Listing would likely mean a ban on importing polar bear parts into the United States. Hunters who pay thousands of dollars for a chance to bag a polar bear would probably be unwilling to pay if they cannot bring their trophies home, The Toronto Globe and Mail reports.

About 16,000 of the world's 22,000 to 25,000 polar bears live in Canada. Zoologists are concerned that melting sea ice makes it tougher for polar bears, which are semi-marine animals, to survive.

Both zoologists and Inuit hunters agree that polar bears are not as heavy as they used to be. At a public hearing Wednesday in Pond Inlet, the Inuit argued that the problem is that too many bears are competing for available food, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.