Trophy-hunting_Bighorn Sheep_Mexico

Affiliation
IIED
Type of wild species covered by the record
Wild species used in its natural habitat
Stage of the value chain covered by the record
Primary Producer/harvester (e.g., NTFP collectors, egg collectors)
Record Source
“Grey” literature (e.g., NGO reports, case studies, non-detriment studies; project documents etc. (not necessarily peer-reviewed))

Trade of Bighorn sheeps from Mexico in the form of hunting trophies from Conservation Management Units, where in some cases, bighorn sheeps have been reintroduced from source populations.

Stable
Is the species endemic HIDE
No
Population Status
Common and wildly distributed
Formal international protection in place
International Level
National Level
Formal national protection in place

species listed in the Special Protection category in the Mexican list of species at risk.

Additional Details (if available)

Bighorn sheep are vulnerable to diseases transmitted by feral species and conventional livestock production systems.

Population Trend
Unknown/not recorded
Sub-national Level
Unknown/not recorded
Name
Emma Hemmerlé
Scientific Name
Ovis canadensis
Common Name(s)
Bighorn Sheep
American Sheep
Mountain Sheep
Desert Sheep
Type of Use
Extractive (i.e., the entire organism or parts of the organism are removed from its environment)
If extractive, for the target species, is this use
Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of
The whole entire organism
Details of parts/products taken

Trophy Hunting

Are specific characteristics/traits being targeted?
Unknown/not recorded
Purpose of Use
Recreational
Additional Details (if available)

Trophy Hunting

What is the main end use for any living organisms, parts or products taken/extracted?
Amount
100.00
Units Of Measurement
trophies
Time period over which this has been recorded
per year
Additional Details (if available)

management of trophy hunting within conservation units, with quotas set up.

Geographic Location
Country
Mexico
Local people (e.g., individuals, communities, co-operatives)
International external (individual, groups. e.g., hunters, anglers, photographers, tourists)
If more than one box ticked, please provide more details

local communities are responsible for the management of conservation units, and trophy hunters typically come from abroad.

Is the use part of a strategy to generate conservation incentives, to finance conservation, or to improve tolerance/stewardship?
Yes
Is there evidence that the use is affecting the conservation status of the species? HIDE
Yes – use is improving the status (e.g., population is increasing or stabilising, extraction effort OR catch per unit effort is decreasing or stable)
Is there evidence that the use is affecting natural selection?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting poaching of illegal wildlife trade?
Yes, positive (use is helping combat poaching or illegal wildlife trade)

The Mexican population of Bighorn Sheep has grown steadily since the beginning of the trophy hunting programme

the trophy hunting and its management creates permanent and temporary jobs for community members, such as “eco-guardians” to deter poaching, and guides, outfitters, cooks, cleaners, and wranglers for hunting trips.

Is there any evidence that this use of the species is having a knock-on effect on the status of non-target species
Unknown/not recorded
Yes, positive (e.g., it increases / retains land area for conservation)
No assessment has been recorded
Additional Details (if available)

Bighorns require large areas of high quality habitat, so the conservation benefits include large scale habitat restoration and improving connectivity. Many private and communal landowners have eliminated or reduced livestock to focus on wildlife because of the substantial revenues that can be generated from trophy hunting.

Has a valuation of financial flows from this use at the site/national/international level been recorded
No
Contribution to GDP
Unknown/not recorded
Medicine/healthcare
Education
Training/Skills
Land/Resource Rights
Decision Making
Social Cohesion
Conflict- people
Conflict- wildlife
Climate Change

Today, funds from sale of hunting permits are returned to the community to fund conservation and habitat management activities of their UMA, as well as funding community investments such as infrastructure (public lights, water supply and sanitation, paying local police, building ecotourism infrastructure, providing tools for fishing and forestry activities)

Today, funds from sale of hunting permits are returned to the community to fund conservation and habitat management activities of their UMA, as well as funding community investments such as scholarships

Other Socio-Economic Impacts

Today, funds from sale of hunting permits are returned to the community to fund conservation and habitat management activities of their UMA, as well as funding community investments such as scholarships, a natural disasters fund, infrastructure (public lights, water supply and sanitation, paying local police, building ecotourism infrastructure, providing tools for fishing and forestry activities) and managing land tenure.

Has any assessment of socio-economic sustainability been recorded
No assessment recorded
Has the use of the species been recorded as resulting in changes to human health in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the species in use been noted as being of particular disease risk to humans?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the use of the species resulted in changes to animal welfare in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Are there particular practices which have increased the risk to human or animal health or welfare in the use of this species?
Unknown/not recorded
Does the use of this species increase susceptibility to pathogen spread?
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
Strong community governance/institutions/rights for wildlife management
Absent
Supportive policy and legislative framework
Absent
Adequate capacity to implement and enforce governance arrangements
Absent
Support from NGOs
Absent
Support from Government
Absent
High financial returns from use
Absent
Abundant population of target species
Absent
Biological characteristics of target species
Absent
Capacity building of community
Absent
Establishment and implementation of species and/or area management plan
Absent
Effective private sector approach engagement through certification
Absent
Good benefit-sharing mechanism
Absent
Good Market Strategies
Absent
Source Reference(s)

CITES (2019) CITES & Livelihoods Case Study 2019: Community-based trophy hunting of Bighorn Sheep in Mexico.

In Mexico trophy hunting has been a key approach to incentivise such reintroductions onto privately owned and communally held land (ejidos)

Who is involved in the use?
Is there any gender/age specificity in the various roles
Unknown/not recorded
How many of these local jobs accure to the following categories?
How many people outside the local area are employed
Is there any evidence of other economic benefits associated with this use beyond direct income and jobs
Yes
Scale of Assessment
IUCN National Red List Category
IUCN Global Red List Category
Green Status Global Category
Yearly Financial Flows
Country reference