First Instalment Presented at CIC General Assembly in Vienna
At the CIC General Assembly held in Vienna on 18 April 2026, a significant milestone was reached for the future of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation, as the Wild Sheep Foundation formally presented the first instalment of a landmark commitment to the CIC’s Club 200 initiative.
Gray Thornton, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Wild Sheep Foundation, took to the stage accompanied by Kurt Alt, Conservation Director at the Wild Sheep Foundation, to present a cheque of €50,000 to the CIC, representing the first instalment of a total pledge of €200,000. The presentation was made before an audience of senior conservation leaders and CIC delegates gathered in Vienna and was met with considerable appreciation by all present.
The Wild Sheep Foundation and the CIC share a relationship that extends well beyond a single transaction. As longstanding partners, the two organisations have collaborated across a range of conservation initiatives, united by a common set of values: a commitment to ethical hunting, the spirit of fair chase, and the conviction that well-managed wildlife use is among the most effective tools available for securing habitats, sustaining species, and supporting the communities that live alongside them. The Wild Sheep Foundation’s Club 200 commitment is, in that sense, a natural expression of a partnership built over many years of shared endeavour.
Each Club 200 member is invited to contribute €200,000 in support of the CIC’s mission, with funds directed towards advancing the case for sustainable use in international policy forums, scientific discourse, and public debate. The initiative represents a direct investment in ensuring that the voice of sustainable use is heard clearly, consistently, and at the highest levels.
The Wild Sheep Foundation is one of several individuals and organisations that have already stepped forward to commit the full €200,000 to Club 200, and their example is one that others in the sustainable use community are warmly invited to follow. The growing roster of Club 200 members reflects a shared recognition that the arguments for sustainable use, however well founded in science and evidence, require sustained, professional, and well-resourced communication to gain the influence they deserve in today’s policy environment.
The CIC’s leadership welcomed the presentation as a powerful demonstration of what is possible when institutions that share values also share resources. For those who believe in the future of sustainable use and wish to play a tangible role in shaping the narrative around it, Club 200 offers a meaningful and practical opportunity to do so.
The CIC looks forward to welcoming further members to Club 200 in the months ahead.
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
