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THE STATUS OF TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH ANIMAL BREEDS AND PLANT VARIETIES AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR BIODIVERSITY
CHAPTER FOUR: ONGOING GENETIC CONSERVATION PROJECTS
4.1 Much of the work in this area falls to the RBST. Below is a list of RBST and other projects.
National Regeneration Bank
Organisation involved
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Objectives
4.2 To create a store of genetic material to provide protection against a possible future disease outbreak which could destroy some or all of the rare and "at risk" breeds.
Status of project
4.3 The project has started, and will continue as quickly as funding will allow.
Funding
4.4 The project will cost an estimated 2.5 million. This will all have to come from charitable donations. At present some 300,000 has been raised.
Comments
4.5 This is a major project and will involve not only the collection of genetic material, but also the creation of a library of information on rare breeds. Collection of semen and embryos has already started as has the collation of information for the library. The library will draw on information from herd and flock books and breeding records. This information will be analysed using software designed to trace the lineage of individual animals. The information this generates will enable the sampling of the genetic material to be targeted towards those individual animals whose genetic resource is most valuable for long term storage.
DNA analyses of horses
Organisation involved
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Objectives
4.6 To analyse the DNA of breeds of horses to determine the genetic variability within and between breeds.
Status of project
4.7 Ongoing.
Funding
4.8 The project is funded by RBST which relies on donations from the public.
Comments
4.9 If funds allow, the work will be extended to other species.
Recording scheme for rare breeds
Organisations involved
Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Breed Societies
Objectives
4.10 To record traits of individuals within breeds in order to have a database of the performance characteristics of those breeds.
Status of project
4.11 Ongoing.
Funding
4.12 None
Comments
4.13 The RBST is keen to have such a scheme, but in the absence of funding it relies on members of the breed societies collecting the data themselves on a voluntary basis. The Trust provides protocols for measurements in order to achieve consistency.
Heritage Gene Bank
Organisations involved
University of Leeds, University of York, Scottish Agricultural College
Objectives
4.14 To protect the Herdwick breed of sheep in the Cumbrian fells from possible eradication due to Foot and Mouth disease. The project aims to establish a bank of stored semen and embryos.
Status of project
4.15 Started, and will hopefully be extended to cover other breeds.
Funding
4.16 This project is jointly funded by DEFRA and the Garfield Weston Foundation.
Description
4.17 The project was set up very quickly as a response to the very real possibility of Foot and Mouth disease spreading to the Cumbrian fells from the lowlands where the disease was spreading rapidly. The Herdwick breed of sheep is native to the fells of North West England and there was a very real possibility that the breed would be lost if the disease got into the fells. This would have had serious ramifications for not only the Herdwick breed but also for the natural heritage of the region. The ecosystem of the fells depends on grazing and the loss of hefted sheep, adapted to the area, would have been serious.
Genetic diversity of traditional breeds
Organisations involved
University of East Anglia, University of Cardiff
Objectives
4.18 To examine the genetic diversity of 50 traditional breeds of sheep and cattle.
Status of the project
4.19 This project has only just started.
Funding
4.20 The project is funded under Framework V of the European Union.
Comments
4.21 The work will study the genetic diversity of 50 breeds of traditional sheep and cattle in Europe. The work will involve the analyses of DNA micro satellite markers.
Other Projects
4.22 Since the mid 1990's other work has been going on to look at the genetic diversity of rare breeds of cattle and sheep. The London Institute of Zoology ran a project in this area for 3 years. The results of this study are not yet published. A similar EU-funded project under Framework IV finished in 2000. This involved 6 institutes across Europe, including the Institute of Zoology and the University of East Anglia. The study involved using DNA analysis to look at the genetic diversity of sheep and goats.
Conclusions
4.23 Although there are several projects aimed at the conservation of the genetic resources of rare breeds, these projects are not co-ordinated. The RBST is attempting to co-ordinate some of this activity, but relies on charitable donations. Consideration should be given to the role that government can play in co-ordinating and funding these activities.
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