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ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (APP): Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr Musadik Malik, on Friday, chaired a meeting of the CITES Management Authority to review and determine trophy hunting quotas for the 2025–26 season.
Dr Malik stressed that allocations must follow international conservation standards, with no more than two per cent of any species’ total population permitted for hunting.
He highlighted the importance of basing quota decisions on rigorous, scientifically credible population surveys to ensure the long-term sustainability of wildlife.
The meeting also addressed the need to consider species’ social structures and herd dynamics, with Dr Malik noting that disruption of dominant males or breeding clusters could adversely affect reproduction and population stability.
He called for a joint study with provincial wildlife departments to develop evidence-based guidelines for responsible trophy hunting.
Provinces that have yet to submit this year’s wildlife survey data will temporarily retain last year’s quotas.
From next year, provinces failing to submit surveys will not receive any allocations, reinforcing the government’s commitment to science-led wildlife management.
Officials from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, along with representatives from the Zoological Survey of Pakistan, attended the session.