Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources

Aim

The EAAP Working Group AnGR (WG-AnGR) contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of Animal Genetic Resources, recognizing the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992) and the FAO Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources (FAO, 2007). The WG-AnGR co-operates with the European Regional Focal Point (ERFP) on all matters of mutual interest in the field of AnGR, and liaises with FAO, the European Union and other (intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental) bodies involved in the management and conservation of AnGR. The Working Group co-operates with both ERFP and FAO to the management and development of EFABIS (European Farm Animal Biodiversity Information System) and DAD-IS (the global Domestic Animal Diversity Information System). The WG-AnGR is directly linked to the Genetics Commission of EAAP, but the aim of the WG-AnGR is also to work across disciplines.

Members of the Working Group

President: J. Fernandez (Spain) jmj@inia.es

Vice president: C. Danchin-Burge (France)

Members: I. Curik (Croatia), S.J. Hiemstra (the Netherlands), P. Berg (Denmark), J. Ramljack (Croatia), E. Stuaro (Italy) and G. Hadjipavlou (Cyprus)..

Observers: representatives of FAO and ERFP Secretariat.

Recent activities of the WG-AnGR:

• Working Group proposals for EAAP-2017-TallinThe Working Group AnGR of EAAP suggested 2 topics for EAAP 2017 in Tallin:
  1. Genetics Commission: Past, present and future of effective population size as a tool for characterizing, managing and monitoring local breeds (in collaboration with ERFP and FAO);
  2. Genetics Commission: Genomic tools to obtain better measures of inbreeding and inbreeding depression;
• The Working Group had two meetings during EAPP Warsaw 2015, a meeting during EAAP Belfast 2017, exchanges by email and skype, and by bilateral meetings between members of the EAAP-WG-AnGR during the year depending on the activities and involvement of WG members.
• Sessions at EAAP annual meetings (in collaboration with FAO, ERFP or other Working Groups)
  • Strategies of national gene banks for AnGR in Europe for long term conservation purposes and to support in situ conservation of endangered breeds (EAAP-2015, Warsaw). http://eaap2015.syskonf.pl/subtitles#genetics
  • Ethical aspects of breeding (EAAP-2014, Copenhagen). http://old.eaap.org/Previous_Annual_Meetings/2014Copenhagen/Sessions/Session_28.html
  • The role of imported genetics for sustainable breeding programmes (EAAP-2013, Nantes). http://old.eaap.org/Previous_Annual_Meetings/2013Nantes/Sessions/Session_11.html.
  • Opportunities to use genomic information for in situ and ex situ conservation (EAAP-2012, Bratislava). http://old.eaap.org/Previous_Annual_Meetings/2012Bratislava/Sessions/Session%2002.html

• The EAAP Animal Genetic Resources Working Group (WG-AnGR) and the European Regional Focal Point (ERFP) organized a session “Strategies to add value to local breeds” at EAAP-2010, Cretehttp://old.eaap.org/Previous_Annual_Meetings/2010Crete/Sessions/Session_14.html and then published cases in an AGRI – special issue http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/314794/I3445Tri.pdf
• The WG-AnGR has been in contact with the NC’s for AnGR of different countries (through the ERFP), with the people responsible of the EFABISnet, the WG on Documentation of the ERFP and with FAO to closely follow the development of the new database that FAO is planning to replace DAD-IS system. The working group is committed to be directly involved in the development of the new system to ensure the fulfilment of the NC’s needs and that the present functionalities will remain. The WG will also propose improvements to be discussed.By the end of 2016 FAO National Coordinators (NCs) for AnGR will be able to test the new prototype of DAD-IS.After studying the different options that are available and the pros and cons of each of them, the WG decided to recommend EAAP that the European Regional Node becomes a virtual node and gets integrated in the new structure of DAD-IS under the FENIX platform.

• Following the Session at EAAP-2011 (Stavanger) http://old.eaap.org/Previous_Annual_Meetings/2011Stavanger/Sessions/Session%2010.html ,the WG AnGR carried out a survey, in collaboration with FAO, on environmental values of local breeds. http://www.fao.org/3/a-at598e.pdf
• Participation in the EFABIS management committee to ensure the long-term maintenance and development of the network of European Farm Animal Information Systems (EFABISnet) and DAD-IS. http://efabis.tzv.fal.de/
• WG on Ecosystem ServicesThe WG AnGR has been also following the proposal to create a new WG on Livestock and Ecosystem Services that has been proposed to the EAAP Livestock Farming System Commission. We have expressed our interest of our WG to be included in such inititative as we consider that this topic is relevant in the context of the conservation of genetic resources associated with local breeds.The LFS Commission has decided to pospone the creation of the new WG and will contact us as soon as the disscussions on the way to stablish the group start.