Following a major increase in the population of Markhor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government has decided to request the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to enhance its annual trophy hunting quota.
At the moment, the provincial government is permitted to issue four licenses for the hunting of the large Himalayan Goat. Now, it plans to submit a formal request to the CITES, through the federal government, to increase the number to 9.
It is pertinent to mention that every year, the local authorities generate millions of rupees through the auction of these licenses. As much as 80% of the amount is spent on the development of the local communities.
Recently, the wildlife department earned Rs. 182.4 million during the license auction. The number will significantly increase if more markhors are allowed to be hunted.
Officials told a local media outlet that the CITES had initially allowed the provincial authorities to issue three permits, which was increased to four in 2004.
According to the minutes of a recent meeting held on the matter, the Markhor trophy hunting programme is more than just hunting rare animals. “There is a whole philosophy behind conserving the wild population of Markhor through active involvement of local communities,” it added.
The officials stated that the trophy hunting programme was initiated due to the declining number of large goats in 1998. The authorities collaborated with the local communities and now the population has increased to 5,621.
They also revealed that the wildlife department’s initial proposal was to hunt 12 markhors annually, however, the number was revised to 9 during a meeting of the “scientific authority”
The authority has recommended the “management authority” at the Federal Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination to discuss the markhor hunting quota matter with the CITES.
Source: Pro Pakistani