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PREPARATORY ACTION EU plant and animal genetic resources in agriculture Compendium of projects IRELAND The Old Irish Goat The publication is part of the study “Preparatory action on EU plant and animal genetic resources in agriculture”. The Preparatory Action has been initiated by the European Parliament and financed by the European Commission. The objectives of the Preparatory action are to better understand the stakes of European neglected genetic resources in agriculture and to tap onto their economic potential. It aims to provide inspiring examples of how to make the conservation of neglected breeds and varieties economically viable and encourage farmers and other stakeholders to engage. Funded by the European Union Legal notice The information and views set out in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission's behalf may be held responsible 1 Introduction In the past, the Old Irish Goat was a crucial component in Ireland’s farming landscape. Until recently, the breed was at serious risk of extinction. The project aims to preserve the Old Irish Goat through conducting research to help conserve the breed and to prove its sustainable economic use, including through an innovative sustainable tourism initiative whose aim is to fund further conservation activities. The Old Irish Goat Society is also involved in promotional activities to increase knowledge of the existence of the Old Irish Goat and ultimately to further aid conservation efforts. 2 Description of the genetic resource The Old Irish Goat is a genetic resource and cultural asset whose origins date to the Neolithic era. It is an Irish indigenous landrace breed of goat, historically known as “the poor man’s cow”. It was a crucial component in Irish farming due to its hardiness. It was a dependable and productive breed which required little attention and provided milk, meat, skin and fibre on meagre and marginal land. However, as has occurred throughout Europe, the Old Irish Goat was supplanted by modern, improved domestic stock. It represents the only landrace breed of goat in Ireland and has disappeared in domestication. Indeed, it still survives only as a feral animal and was at serious risk of extinction until the Society became involved in recent years. 3 Objectives of the project In 2006, the Old Irish Goat Society (OIGS) was established in order to preserve and promote the Old Irish goat. The society was formed by a small group of enthusiasts who realised that the breed was rapidly heading towards extinction, but that its gene pool could be preserved if assertive action was taken. The main objective of the project is to preserve the Old Irish goat from extinction and promote its sustainable economic use and unique cultural authenticity. In order to reach these objectives the project pursuits the following aims: Phenotypic and genotypic research. Research to demonstrate the breed’s utility for milk, cheese and meat production, for conservation grazing and for tourism. Promote the breed’s history and its unique cultural authenticity. Page 2 4 Actors involved and roles At present, a number of actors and stakeholders, both private and public, are involved around the project. A list of the main actors, also reporting essential information on the role they covered, is provided hereunder. The Old Irish Goat Society (OIGS): the Society has worked to both preserve the breed in the wild and bring it back into domestication as an ideal smallholder’s goat. Community in Mulranny, Co. Mayo: in 2011, the Mulranny Community recovered the project and took part in its management in order to guarantee its success. Government Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM): it supported the project through financial aid from the Genetic Resources Grant Aid Scheme (GRGAS). Department of Rural & Community Development: funding of Old Irish Goat Centre. Mayo County Council: funding under Local Agenda 21. County Mayo Foundation: philanthropic funding of full time Conservation Officer. South West Mayo Development Company: human resource support. ADAPT Map: it is a global research consortium of scientist which aims to improve coordination among otherwise independent projects for genotyping, re-sequencing and phenotyping of goat breeds. This consortium was focused on leading researches about the Old Irish Goat DNA. Collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Utrecht University in the Netherlands, the Agricultural University of Iceland, the Natural Resources Instituteof Finland and the Institute National De La Recherché Agronomique of Toulouse (France) for analysis and research. 5 Steps and activities undertaken The Old Irish Goat Society (OIGS) conducted various studies with the purpose of demonstrating the goat’s benefits to landscape management, by defining its phenotype and characterising its genotype. The society worked towards the recognition of the Old Irish Goat as an official rare breed to assure its protection and it created a herd book to preserve its existing standard. The activities undertaken can be grouped as follows: 1. Research: Carrying out of the first trans-national genetic study of primitive goats in the UK and Ireland. Carrying out of a first genetic study of livestock to use taxidermy specimens (from UK and Ireland museums). Profiling of the genetic signature of the Old Irish Goat in comparison to 119 goat breeds worldwide, with the help of ADAPT Map global research consortium. Establishment of a pilot captive breeding program / national herd of 30 Old Irish Goats. 2. Preservation: Submission by OIGS to the EU Committee of the Regions, in order to promote increased attention to genetic resources within the CAP1. Proposals made to the current Irish National Biodiversity Action Plan. Observations put forward to local authority Biodiversity Plan (Limerick County). 1 http://bit.ly/IEOIGSSubmissionOnEUCAP Page 3 3. Awareness: Hosted inaugural Irish Rare Breeds Conference; http://irishrarebreedsconference.ie/ Informative flyer on Old Irish Goat Published; http://bit.ly/OldIrishGoatFlyer2017 Brought national attention to the plight of the Old Irish Goat, appearing on national television and radio, national and local newspapers and You Tube videos;. Publication in the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters in March 2017. Hosted multi-stakeholder conference themed on Old Irish Goat, Curlew (ground nesting bird) Conservation and Heritage Based Tourism in Athlone. Development of a responsible tourism initiative, the Old Irish Goat Centre. 6 Results to date There are both threats and opportunities for the Old Irish Goat in current feral herds. Indeed, these goats are seen as a threat to the rare flora and fauna in certain national parks and UNESCO sites, but also as an opportunity in others, where the breed can be an eco-friendly alternative to herbicides for control of invasive species and can also act as a retarder of the encroachment of scrub onto bird habitats (e.g. red listed ground nesting for curlew). A pilot breeding programme in Westport was established and “breed standards” were introduced. Furthermore, the Old Irish Goat Society was involved in a European Goat DNA project making the conservation of that breed finally feasible. The reintroduction of the Old Irish Goat in the economy of Ireland was due to the efforts of a dedicated, proactive and innovative society that is more aware of the importance of the preservation of this breed as part of the cultural heritage of Ireland. A dedicated website - www.oldirishgoatsociety.com - was created to further raise that knowledge: it receives about 1 000 hits per month. Furthermore, research on a sustainable tourism initiative has been completed and progress is being made on its implementation. 7 Next steps Further to the genotypic analysis conducted during the project, the next step is to gain recognition of the Old Irish Goat as distinct breed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and further inclusion as a “rare breed” in Agri-environmental schemes under future tranches of the national Rural Development Programme (RDP). The information acquired in various research studies will be used as a basis for further advanced analysis. Indeed, the DNA study of primitive goat breeds in the United Kingdom and Ireland will be extended as well as the National survey in Ireland and Northern Ireland that will still address feral goat issues but with the specific purpose of identifying new feral populations to include in future breeding programmes. Furthermore, the genome study is expected to be completed in collaboration with ADAPT Map and the Institute National De La Recherché Agronomique, Page 4 Toulouse and the captive breeding program, initially suspended in 2012, is to be consolidated and expanded. In order to continue on the path of promotional activities, the Old Irish Goat Society aims to film “The Chance to Survive’ documentary to convey the decline of the Old Irish Goat, its place in Irish history and its conservation status. The same purpose is being fulfilled with the publication of flyers that articulates the history, cultural and food security importance of the breed. Further research and analysis is required on sustainable economic uses for the Old Irish Goat such as producing cheese from Old Irish Goat milk. There are initial plans to analyse the milk of the Old Irish Goat for unique selling points such as high levels of positive constituents and low levels of negative constituents, which could be used to market the product more effectively. A full rollout of the sustainable tourism initiatives will occur, as well as the location of an open visitor attraction due to the large footfall of tourists in the region, a European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) for Heritage regeneration in 2011. In the future, the objective will be to secure a long-term farm lease and achieve a sustainable tourism based on social enterprise which may fund staff, research and conservation measures.
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