Trophy Hunting in Pakistan

Trophy Hunting in Pakistan is a form of hunting for sport in which parts of the hunted wild animals are kept and displayed as trophies. Pakistan harbors a collection of the most uncommon types of wild sheep and goats on the planet. These include the Blue Sheep, Kashmir, Astor, and Suleman Markhors, as well as Punjab, Blandford, and Afghan Urials, alongside the Himalayan and Sindh Ibex.

Community-based trophy hunting programs
Pakistan has developed a community-centered trophy-hunting initiative that relies on incentives as a means of conservation. This approach is meticulously structured to find an equilibrium between the preservation requirements of mountain ecosystems and the economic needs of marginalized communities that have shared their environment with wildlife for generations. The initial instance of such a program in Pakistan was the Chitral Conservation Hunting Program (CCHP) targeting Markhor, which commenced in 1983.

Trophy hunting and conservation
Trophy hunting has produced positive results in Pakistan. Presently, the markhor population in the country has surged to a range of 3,500 to 4,000 individuals, in contrast to the figures of 1,500 to 2,000 noted in 2001. Within the framework of the trophy hunting initiative, indigenous communities are allocated 80% of the license fees, while the remaining portion is retained by the government.

Controversies
Despite its achievements, trophy hunting in Pakistan has raised apprehensions. Some privately operated and even certain officially registered trophy hunting operators have fallen short in upholding its principles. They have been criticized for providing foreign hunters with options to pursue and kill endangered wild animals that warrant protection.