Tajikistan’s hunting enterprise, Bars, has earned recognition at the 38th annual convention of Safari Club International (SCI), the world’s oldest hunting organization. The event took place from June 6 to 8 in Milano Marittima, Italy, where the Tajik enterprise was awarded three prestigious honors for its achievements in trophy hunting and biodiversity conservation.
One of the recognized accomplishments was the sustainable increase in the population of the Marco Polo sheep in the Eastern Pamirs—thanks to years of scientific monitoring, strict quota enforcement, and investments in wildlife management services.
Mr. Qaraqul Sohibqulov, the head of Bars hunting enterprise, which has been conducting trophy hunting in the Eastern Pamirs since 1989, expressed that these awards are among the most prestigious in the world.
“We proudly presented the results of our Marco Polo sheep monitoring conducted in the Eastern Pamirs at the end of 2024, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The survey revealed a population of 30,000 sheep, which is an excellent result,” Sohibqulov said.
This population figure of 30,000 is not just a statistic. In the late 1980s, the population of Marco Polo sheep in the region was severely threatened due to poaching and the lack of systematic monitoring. Today, this recovery is made possible by the model that Tajik hunting enterprises have been building for years, focusing on control and local community involvement.
The model used by Tajik enterprises like Bars is grounded in the principles of sustainable resource management. All hunters—both local and foreign—are required to obtain licenses for hunting rare species like the Marco Polo sheep and the morkhour.
Revenue from these licenses goes into the state budget and is used to fund wildlife management services, monitor animal populations, and develop infrastructure in mountainous communities. This approach has attracted international partners, enabled joint monitoring efforts, and contributed to a real increase in animal numbers while reducing pressure on the ecosystem.
Leading international scientists have hailed Tajikistan’s experience as “absolutely outstanding.”
“All three of these awards belong not only to our organization but to our country. These awards signify that our local Tajik companies have passed professional and ethical scrutiny at a global level. For our country, this victory is not just about prestige—it’s also a potential tool for attracting investment into conservation projects, sustainable tourism, and the development of mountain communities,” Sohibqulov emphasized.
Safari Club International (SCI), one of the largest and oldest organizations in the world, brings together hunters, scientists, and supporters of sustainable resource management from over 100 countries. Founded in the United States in 1971, SCI not only advocates for hunting interests but also funds dozens of conservation projects worldwide through its own charitable foundation. The organization supports the concept of “hunting for conservation” and participates in scientific research, monitoring of rare species populations, and international negotiations, including platforms like CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
