Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Dr. Musadik Malik, chaired a meeting of the CITES Management Authority of Pakistan to review and determine the allocation of trophy hunting quotas for the 2025–2026 hunting season.
The Minister underscored that quota allocation must strictly adhere to CITES conservation principles, stressing that no more than 2% of a species’ total population may be allocated for trophy hunting. He reiterated that quota decisions must be grounded in regular, scientifically credible population surveys to ensure long-term sustainability of Pakistan’s wildlife.
A key point of discussion was the need to evaluate not just population numbers but also the social structure and herd dynamics of species in each region. Dr. Malik emphasized that disruptions to dominant males, breeding clusters, or group hierarchies can negatively affect reproduction, dispersal patterns, and overall population stability.
To address this, the Minister instructed the formulation of a joint study plan with provincial wildlife departments to assess both population and social structures and to establish science-based best practices for responsible trophy hunting.
The chair instructed that analytical data from the latest wildlife surveys be submitted within the next two days. Provinces that have not yet submitted their surveys for the current year will retain last year’s trophy hunting quota for the interim.
Furthermore, Dr. Malik issued clear instructions that starting next year, provinces failing to submit their annual wildlife population surveys will not be allocated any trophy hunting quota, reinforcing the government’s commitment to evidence-based wildlife management and conservation compliance.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Wildlife and Forest Departments of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, along with officials from the Zoological Survey of Pakistan.
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