GB to auction hunting permits for 3 markhors, 14 blue sheep, 100 ibexes

GB to auction hunting permits for 3 markhors, 14 blue sheep, 100 ibexes.

Key points

• Jamil Nagri Published August 26, 2026 Updated August 26, 2026 07: 41pm.
• GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan's Parks and Wildlife Department will auction hunting permits for three Astore markhor, 14 blue sheep and 100 ibexes for the GB Trophy Hunting programme 2026-27.
• According to the official notice, trophy hunting will be conducted under GB Trophy Hunting Guidelines 2019, starting October 15 until April 10, 2027.
• GB Chief Conservator Parks and Wildlife Zakir Hussain informed Dawn that last year, Rs35 million was collected from the auctioned permits against a target of Rs55m.
• The open bidding for the permits will be held on September 10 at the Forest Complex in Jutial, Gilgit.

Jamil Nagri Published August 26, 2026 Updated August 26, 2026 07: 41pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

For context, the highest permit base rate is for markhor, set at $200, 000. The base rate for blue sheep hunting permits has been set at $25, 000, and at $11, 000 for Himalayan ibex.

According to The auction notice, out of the exportable quota of four Astore markhors, one permit had been extended from the last hunting season, so three new permits would be auctioned in September.

For context, the open bidding for the permits will be held on September 10 at the Forest Complex in Jutial, Gilgit.

According to the official notice, trophy hunting will be conducted under GB Trophy Hunting Guidelines 2019, starting October 15 until April 10, 2027. Hunting would be permissible only in the designated conservation areas.

Notably, the trophy hunting quota had been set on the basis of annual surveys conducted by wildlife experts, the notice remarked.

He continued that permits for two Astore markhors, five blue sheep and 10 exportable Himalayan ibexes went unused in the 2025-26 trophy hunting programme, resulting in a loss of Rs20m.

Hussain had informed Dawn at the time that the law and order situation after violent protests in Gilgit and Skardu – against the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli attacks – had led to the cancellation of hunting intends by American and other foreign hunters.

Local business owners and tour operators have been opposing the permit rate hikes for the past two years, claiming that the decision had damaged their businesses and discouraged international clients.

They have cautioned of losses for businesses and the local communities who rely on trophy-hunting revenue.

Ikram Beg, a business owner who sells hunting equipment, remarked the trophy hunting conservation programme in GB was facing a serious challenge.

"Over the last two years, the Wildlife Department has repeatedly increased trophy hunting baseline price by more than 300 per cent without adequately considering the recommendations of key stakeholders, " he remarked.

According to Beg, the unilateral and excessive increases were making GB less competitive in the international hunting market.

He cautioned that if the trend continued, it could reduce hunting revenue, weaken community incentives and ultimately put the entire conservation programme at risk.

"Trophy hunting was introduced as a conservation tool, not simply as a means of maximising administration revenue. Its success depends on sustainable pricing, international participation, transparent management and meaningful benefits for local communities, " he observed.

While ensuring transparency and compliance with relevant regulations and requirements, local business owners demanded that the relevant authorities review and rationalise baseline rates as well as consult communities, conservation experts and professional stakeholders.

Despite global controversy surrounding trophy hunting, supporters argue that such programmes support prevent poaching, empower local communities and contribute to wildlife conservation.

Hunting the three animals is extremely challenging in the region, with hunters facing rugged, tough slopes and extremely cold weather.

For context, the trophy hunting programme began in GB with the local community's involvement in Bar Valley, Nagar, in 1990. Around 80pc of the funds earned from licences goes to the community for wildlife protection and conservation.

Last year, the GB Wildlife and Parks Department had auctioned off hunting permits for 118 animals for the 2025-26 season, with the top permit for an Astore markhor fetching $370, 000.

GB is rich in biodiversity due to its varied climate and ecosystems. The region is home to a number of rare species, including Marco Polo sheep, ibex, markhor, urial, blue sheep, lynx, snow leopard, leopard cat, brown and black bears, wolves, foxes, marmots, chakor, ram chakor and golden eagles. Nevertheless, numerous of these species face threats from illegal hunting, wildlife mismanagement and climate change.

Jamil Nagri is a Gilgit-Baltistan-based correspondent for Dawn with over a decade of experience in journalism. His reporting and feature writing focus on CPEC, climate change, the environment, and adventure tourism. He can be discovered on X at @jamilnagri.

Taken together, the developments around GB to auction hunting permits for 3 markhors, 14 blue sheep, 100 point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.