Punjab generates over Rs3m on first day of partridge hunting permit auction

For the first time in Punjab, official permits for partridge hunting in the rugged expanse of the Salt Range have been auctioned through a formal, competitive process. According to the Wildlife Department, the highest bid reached three hundred thousand rupees, marking what officials describe as a significant shift towards regulated and community-linked wildlife management in the region.

With the start of the new hunting season, the Punjab Wildlife Department has designated wide stretches of the Salt Range particularly in Chakwal, Jhelum and adjoining areas as zones and Community-Based Conservancies, where hunting permits are being issued exclusively through auction.

Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger for the Salt Range, Zahid Ali, said that last year two community conservancies were registered in partridge-rich habitats, covering 36 zones, following a similar model used for Punjab urial. Under new rules introduced this year, a further 133 zones have been allocated, for which new conservancies will be registered.

On the opening day of the auction, permits for 87 zones were sold, generating a total revenue of Rs3.0827 million. Several permits crossed the 0.1 million mark, while the highest bid stood at Rs0.3 million. Officials stated that an average of nine permits will be issued for each zone, and every permit will allow the use of three rifles, with a maximum limit of six partridges.

Zahid Ali explained that each zone is opened for hunting only after field surveys assessing local bird populations. Consultations were held with village notables and community representatives to ensure that regulated hunting contributes directly to conservation and monitoring at the local level. Under the policy, 80 per cent of the auction revenue will be transferred to these communities to support breeding habitats and prevent illegal hunting.

Hunting will only be allowed on Sundays, and each permit may be used once during the season, strictly within the zone for which it was issued. Hunting in any other zone remains prohibited. While the official fee for a routine partridge-hunting permit is Rs1,000, this year’s structured auction process produced substantially higher bids.

According to officials, the initiative is significant because it introduces, for the first time at this scale in Punjab, a system where local communities receive direct financial incentives to participate in wildlife protection, creating a more sustainable and accountable model of game management across the Salt Range.