GHULAM ABBAS
A Canadian citizen has become first ever bow hunter in Gilgit Baltistan, where Cameron Farace hunted an Ibex by the traditional arrow at the distance of 100 kilometers on Friday.
He was the first who got license from Gilgit-Baltistan Wildlife Department for hunting the rare animal through arrow not the gun fire.
According to an official source at GB Wildlife Department, a Canadian citizen named Cameron Farace, an expert of bow hunting arrived in Gilgit for hunting of Ibex through the centuries old tactics of hunting. He was given the license of hunting against $3500 fee.
Soon after getting the permit he left for Hunza where he on Friday succeeded in hunting Ibex in Gulmit Valley, a conservancy managed by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) since 2003. The foreigner had hunted the Ibex although it was not feasible season for hunting. The foreign and local hunters usually come to GB for in the hunting season which starts in November and ends in March, every year.
The official appreciated Canadian citizen for getting the unique permission saying that through this way of hunting will be the most suitable way for preservation of environment and wildlife in the region, GB Wildlife Department encourages arrow hunting,” he said.
“It was the first arrow hunt animal in the region” Forest And Wildlife Department Secretary Sajad Haider said in a statement adding that arrow was the most suitable way of hunting for preservation of environment and wildlife in the region.
He explained that the gunfire affected environment and wildlife; it created fear and uncertainty among species, which while running away face injuries and even threats to their lives in the mountainous region. GB Wildlife Department would facilitate the arrow hunters in future and encouraged for environmental protection hunting.
GB is home to rare species, including the Marco-Polo sheep, Ibex, markhor, urial, blue sheep, lynx, snow leopard, brown and black bears, wolf, fox, Marmote, chakor and Ram chakor. According to him the trophy hunting quota was created on the basis of annual surveys conducted by the wildlife experts.
As per the procedure, interested hunters, companies and individuals have to deposit $7,000 in the name of DFO Wildlife prior to participating in the auction.
The highest bidder is given choice for location. The GB Wildlife Department had distributed 98 licenses of trophy hunting of precious animals for foreign, national and local successful bidders for the season 2016-17. Permit was auctioned in September last year for four Markhors, 80 Ibexes and 14 blue sheep.
The highest rate offered for a markhor was $65,700, for Ibex $3,300 and for blue sheep $8,300, said the official, adding highest rate for hunting Ibex for national hunters was Rs 300,000 while Rs 55,000 were fixed for local hunters.
According to Wildlife Department officials, trophy hunting was carried out under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wildlife, and was allowed only in notified areas of GB in collaboration with the relevant communities.
The income from the sale of hunting permits, 80 per cent goes to the local community to be spent on development of wildlife in their respective areas. Twenty per cent of the amount would go to the government exchequer.
Apart from the claims of Wildlife Department in GB rare animals like Markhor are among those near-threatened species in Pakistan, due to increase in pollution, destruction of habitats and hunting enthusiasts.
The international Union of Conservation of Nature had declared it as an endangered animal in 1998 saying that this wild goat was classified as “near threatened” animal. But hunting of the animal continues as hunters pay large sums of money for game in the region.
