Sea otters were hunted for their fur, which was highly valued in the fashion industry. The hunt began in the North Pacific Ocean, where sea otters were abundant. As the sea otter population declined in the North Pacific, the hunt moved to the South Pacific and then to the Arctic Ocean.
The sea otter hunt was unregulated and extremely destructive. By the early 1900s, the sea otter population had been reduced to a fraction of its former size. In response, several countries, including the United States, Russia, and Canada, enacted laws to protect sea otters. The sea otter population has since rebounded, but it is still threatened by habitat loss and pollution.