GB to auction 117 trophy hunting permits
• Base rates set at $200,000 for markhor, $25,000 for blue sheep and $11,000 for ibex • Open auction scheduled for Sept 10 in Gilgit GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan’s Parks and Wildlife Department will auction hunting permits for three Astore markhors, 14 blue sheep and 100 ibexes for the GB Trophy Hunting programme 2026-27. The highest permit base rate is for markhor, set at $200,000. The base rate for…
Gilgit-Baltistan's Parks and Wildlife Department will auction hunting permits for three markhor, 14 blue sheep and 100 ibexes as part of the GB Trophy Hunting programme for 2026-27. The base rate for markhor hunting permits is set at $200,000, while blue sheep and Himalayan ibex permits are priced at $25,000 and $11,000 respectively.
Out of the four Astore markhor exportable quota, one permit has been carried over from the previous season, meaning three new permits will be auctioned on September 10 at the Forest Complex in Jutial, Gilgit. Trophy hunting will be permitted in designated conservation areas from October 15, 2026 to April 10, 2027, under the GB Trophy Hunting Guidelines 2019.
GB Chief Conservator Parks and Wildlife Zakir Hussain revealed that the department collected Rs350 million from permit auctions last year, falling short of the Rs550 million target. Hussain attributed the shortfall to unused permits and the impact of violent protests following Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's assassination. The hike in permit rates has faced opposition from local businesses and tour operators, who claim it has hurt their livelihoods.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
