KHOROG, September 6, 2010, Asia-Plus — A two-year moratorium on hunting Marco Polo sheep introduced on January 1, 2009 has been lifted ahead of schedule.
Marod Mirasanov, the head of the GBAO agency for environmental protection, says the moratorium has been lifted in order to enhance financing of local ecological projects because hunting for Marco Polo sheep has been one of major sources of revenue in region and has allowed it to support environmental protection projects.
“Financing of social and ecological activities due to revenue from hunting for Marco Polo sheep has already been put on the agency’s estimate of cost for the next month,” Mirasanov said, noting that funds will go to purchasing coals for residents of Murgab district in order to preserve teresken pastures in Murgab.
According to him, residents of Murgab are using a vital desert plant, teresken, for fuel. Teresken and similar plants have become the only fuel available to the residents of the Eastern Pamirs. Yet these plants are the only thing preventing the complete desertification of Eastern Pamir. They protect the soil from erosion and help summer and year-round pasture lands grow to feed the cattle.
The teresken shrub (Ceratoides papposa) is being cleared across wide areas of Murgab. Owing to its strong roots, this plant is exceedingly important for pasture management, soil conservation and erosion control. According to specialists, if an alternative energy source is not found soon, the destruction of the teresken shrubs must be expected to lead to massive soil erosion, thus dramatically jeopardizing the natural life support base of people and livestock.
“Part of the funds will go to purchasing coals for Murgab residents,” said Mirasanov, “Besides, these funds will also be used for purchase of fodder to feed Marco Polo Sheep in winter.”
Due to the moratorium, there are now some 24,000 Marco Polo sheep in Gorno Badakhshan, which is twice as many than before 2009. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, some 40,000 Marco Polo sheep reportedly lived in the high mountains of Gorno Badakhshan.
Before the moratorium, Tajik authorities were giving 45 Marco Polo sheep hunting licenses per year; the price of one license was 40,000 somoni.
