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ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (APP):The Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) has approved the allocation of trophy hunting quotas for the 2025–26 season, citing verified population surveys and scientific assessments as the basis for the decision.
The quotas were allocated through the CITES Management Authority of Pakistan following a review of population data submitted by provincial wildlife departments, ministry spokesperson told APP on Monday.
It described the move as part of efforts to strengthen transparent and evidence-based wildlife governance in the country.
Pakistan, a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), remains committed to fulfilling its international conservation obligations through sustainable-use practices, the spokesperson said.
The approved quotas cover several species, including the markhor, Himalayan ibex, Sindh ibex, Blandford’s urial, Punjab urial, blue sheep and Kennion gazelle.
The ministry said the allocations were consistent with internationally recognised principles of sustainable use and were based on scientific evidence rather than administrative precedent.
The statement noted that under the leadership of Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Masood Malik, the quota allocation process has been streamlined to improve transparency, accountability and reliance on credible data.
The ministry also acknowledged the need for further improvements in wildlife population surveys and said efforts were underway to standardise survey methodologies across provinces to generate more reliable and comparable data.
“These measures are intended to ensure sound conservation outcomes that support both wildlife populations and the livelihoods of local communities living alongside these species,” the statement said, adding that community-based conservation remains a key component of Pakistan’s wildlife management framework.
Officials maintained that regulated trophy hunting, when based on robust science and community participation, can contribute to conservation financing and incentivise local communities to protect wildlife habitats.
The latest allocation, the ministry said, reflects Pakistan’s broader commitment to sustainable wildlife use, international conservation compliance and conservation models that balance ecological protection with socio-economic benefits.