http://www.huntingreport.com/w...te.cfm?articleid=686



Tajikistan Issues Limited Marhkor Hunting Permits to Conservancies

(posted October 29, 2014)




Editor's note: In the cover story of our October issue, we told you about new opportunities for markhor in Tajikistan. The only question unanswered in that story was whether or not permits would be available for the 2014/15 season. Now, Hunting Report Correspondent Dr. Rolf Baldus tells us that a quota of six markhor for the 2014/2015 season has been confirmed and he says these are exportable/importable trophies. If you are interested in this opportunity, we suggest you act quickly. Here's what we know:

The Government of Tajikistan recently decided on the hunting quota for species listed in the Red Book of Tajikistan for the 2014/15 hunting season, which lasts until February 28, 2015. Of interest for foreign hunters are the following species: Pamir or Marco Polo argali (80 permits), Bukharan urial (no permits!), and Tajik (Bukharan) markhor (six permits). The Marco Polo sheep are marketed through the Association of Hunters of Tajikistan (an association of the big argali concessions) and may be booked through various agents. The permits for Tajik markhor, must be purchased directly from the local conservancies that manage the species.

Details of the hunts and prices will be communicated to interested hunters by the local communities, but expect a 10-day markhor hunt to cost about 80,000 Euro. Trophy quality is very good, as they were hunted last year for the first time, and poaching is not significant. The chance for a successful hunt is very high. Last year all hunters got their trophy.

The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) has volunteered to make the contact between the potential hunter and the village communities in order to facilitate communication. The markhor conservancies can therefore be directly contacted via the CIC Administrative Office: office@cic-wildlife.org.Last February the CIC facilitated two successful hunters in support of the conservancies. Please note that the CIC does not act as an agent and does not receive a commission.

Potential hunters should enquire about import requirements from their own national CITES authority (or US Fish & Wildlife Service for US hunters). Both of the hunters who took markhor with the conservancies last year successfully imported their trophies. Note that Tajikistan is not a CITES member. US hunters must be able to show the hunt is non-detrimental to the species. Showing enhancement of the species proves that indirectly. US hunters interested in this hunt should contract John J. Jackson, III of Conservation Force for assistance with import permit applications.

The community and family-based conservancies in Tajikistan managing Tajik markhor, Asiatic ibex, Bukharan urial and Marco Polo sheep, are part of the Tajikistan Mountain Ungulates Project. This project at the 12 Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biodiversity in October 2014 has been honored with the CIC Markhor Award (see: www.cic-wildlife.org/2014/10/c...on-16-october-2014/). The CIC Markhor Award recognizes and celebrates outstanding conservation performance by personalities, private and government institutions, enterprises, or conservation projects that link the conservation of biodiversity and human livelihoods through the application of the principles of sustainable use, in particular hunting, as part of wildlife and ecosystem management.

A detailed description of the markhor concessions, the species and the history of the conservation effort, including maps, is found in the new CIC Caprinae Atlas, see www.rowlandward.com. For further information on the Tajikistan Mountain Ungulates Project see www.wildlife-tajikistan.org/ - Dr. Rolf Baldus.

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Some more info here as well
http://www.cic-wildlife.org/20...eas-4-november-2014/