Gilgit-Baltistan brings Rs 300m in revenue from trophy hunting this season

GILGIT: Trophy hunting season 2024-24 in Gilgit-Baltistan has seen a massive surge in revenue as official sources disclosed to a local publication that more than Rs309 million in revenue was generated.

Comparing last year, annual revenue saw Rs89 million in growth during the season to protect and balance wildlife conservation with sustainable economic development. The trophy hunting season spans from November till the start of April every year.

In October 2023, the GB Forest, Parks, and Wildlife Department auctioned four licenses for the hunting of over a hundred rare species including the prized Astore markhor, one of which fetched a record $186,000.

The licenses included four for Astore markhors, 14 for blue sheep, and 88 for Himalayan ibex in various community conservation areas across Gilgit-Baltistan.

The second highest permit for the Astore markhor was sold for $181,000, the third for $177,000, and the fourth for $171,000.

The base rate fees for blue sheep and Himalayan ibex permits were $9,000 and $5,500, respectively. Out of these, 51 Himalayan ibex, six blue sheep, and four Astore markhors were hunted by the end of the season.

READ MORE: Global wildlife populations have sunk 69% since 1970: WWF report

While the GB Forest and Wildlife Department received Rs309.5 million, 80 percent of this revenue goes to the respective community-controlled hunting areas, which distribute cheques among respective communities at special ceremonies, while the remaining 20pc goes to the national exchequer.

The trophy hunting program in Gilgit-Baltistan, which began in the Nagar Valley in 1990, has since expanded to other areas within the region. Despite global controversies surrounding trophy hunting, proponents argue that such programs help prevent poaching, empower local communities, and contribute to wildlife conservation.

According to a GB-based conservationist Rashid Minhas, from 1990 till 2023, around $5 million was generated through trophy hunting of markhor alone, of which US$ 4.3m has been invested in social, economic, and environmental development of local communities.

Environmentalists also oppose trophy hunting, citing that it causes a decline in the population of wildlife species and encourages poaching.