Is this possible?

[Shinya Maki]

For the blank in the following passage, I understand #1 and #2 below are both possible.
Is #3 also possible?

Barrow, the biggest of the far northern native villages with 4,600 people,
has not only had beach erosion, but early ice breakup. ( ) have been
stranded at sea, and others have been forced to go far beyond the usual
hunting grounds to find seals, walruses and other animals.

1. Some hunters
2. Many hunters
3. Hunters

Shinya Maki

[Pete]

For the blank in the following passage, I understand #1 and #2 below are both possible.
Is #3 also possible?

Barrow, the biggest of the far northern native villages with 4,600 people,
has not only had beach erosion, but early ice breakup. ( ) have been
stranded at sea, and others have been forced to go far beyond the usual
hunting grounds to find seals, walruses and other animals.

1. Some hunters
2. Many hunters
3. Hunters

Shinya Maki
No, version 3 doesn't work. With "Hunters" the subject of the first clause, the word "others" as the subject of the second clause would be taken to mean people who are not hunters. But the rest of that clause shows that "others" must indeed mean hunters.