Trophy Hunting Permit price Increased in Pakistan to $25,000

The Pakistani government has decided to charge trophy hunters a reserve cost of $25,000 for each license they purchase.

The decision to permit trophy shooting of endangered Urial deer from December 15 to March 31 coincides with the timing of the action. According to reports, the federal government will auction off trophy hunting licenses on December 5 at the Punjab Wildlife Department’s Lahore office. To participate in the auction, trophy hunters seeking licenses will need to deposit a $5,000 reserve fee with their applications. The highest bidder will receive a permit.

The reserve cost for trophy shooting a Urial deer was set at $18,000 the previous year. Only Urial deer will be allowed to be hunted by the winners of the licenses. According to officials, sportsmen who disobey trophy hunting regulations will be fined. Eighty percent of the money made from the trophy hunting program is given to the local communities, who use it for initiatives in development, health, and education. The government’s account will be credited with the final 20% of the funds.

Through the trophy program, the wildlife department in the most northerly territory of the nation also auctioned Astore Markhors hunting licenses at record rates. According to reports in the local media, the government sold a trophy hunting license for the Markhor, a wild goat that is native to high-altitude monsoon forests in central Asia, at auction for more than Rs37 million (3 crores and 71 lacs in local currency). Several regions, including Gilgit-Baltistan, the Tooshi Conservancy in the Chitral District, the Gehrait Conservancy in the Chitral District, and the Kaigah Conservancy in the Kohistan District, offer hunting licenses every year. This year, $167,525 was the highest bid amount for the linked species of Astore Markhor. Because of trophy hunting, the Markhor population has expanded from 1,500–2,000 in 2001 to 3,500–4,000 in 2021, which is a good sign.

Local communities receive 80% of the license money under the trophy hunting program, and the government keeps the remaining 20%. As licenses are granted through a competitive bidding process, the amount fluctuates. Only old, male Markhors are shot as part of the trophy hunting program. These animals can be recognized by their horns, stride, and physical characteristics. The preservation of biodiversity in Pakistan is now credited to this effort as a tremendous accomplishment. As a result of the incentives provided by the trophy hunting program, the affected communities now protect their wild game species as a valuable resource. Local and international legislation, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, safeguard Pakistan’s national animal, the Markhor.