Biennial conservation prize recognises outstanding achievements in biodiversity conservation through sustainable use
Bozeman/Vienna — The CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation and the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) are now accepting nominations for the 2026 Markhor Award, the biennial prize recognising conservation initiatives that demonstrate measurable biodiversity outcomes through sustainable use. The deadline for submissions is 14 August 2026.
The Markhor Award was established to honour projects, individuals, institutions, and enterprises that have advanced biodiversity conservation by linking it with human livelihoods and sustainable wildlife management. Its name is drawn from the markhor (Capra falconeri), a mountain species of Central Asia whose documented recovery stands as one of the most compelling examples of regulated hunting tourism generating tangible conservation outcomes: protecting habitat, sustaining populations, and creating economic incentives for local communities to value and defend wildlife.
Presented biennially at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP), and supported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the award has become a significant platform for demonstrating that sustainable use and conservation are complementary objectives, not competing ones.
The CIC and WSF partnership in delivering the award reflects the alignment of both organisations with the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Target 5 of the GBF explicitly calls for sustainable use of wild species, recognising that conservation outcomes depend not only on restrictions but on economic and social incentives that make wildlife worth protecting.
Nominations are welcomed from any country and across all governance systems. Projects may relate to any species or habitat type where sustainable use, including regulated hunting, has demonstrably contributed to conservation results. Submissions are assessed on the quality of evidence, the involvement of local communities, and the transferability of the approach.
Applications must be submitted online by 14 August 2026 via the following link: https://form.jotform.com/261592827857372
Notes to editors
The CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation is an intergovernmental organisation founded in Paris in 1930. It holds UN Intergovernmental Observer status and currently comprises 30 State Members and more than 1,900 individual members across 86 countries. The CIC promotes biodiversity conservation through sustainable use and represents the interests of hunters, wildlife managers, and conservation practitioners in international policy forums including CITES, the CBD, and the United Nations Environment Assembly.
The Wild Sheep Foundation, headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, is a leading conservation organisation dedicated to wild sheep and their habitats. Founded in 1977, WSF has invested more than USD 156 million in conservation efforts and works across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Media contact:
Tristan Breijer MBA FRGS FRSA MCIJ
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
Email: tristan.breijer@cic-wildlife.org
Mobile: +44 781 408 7423
Website: www.cic-wildlife.org
