Europe is currently facing the spread of several serious animal diseases, including sheep pox, Bluetongue disease, lumpy skin disease (in cattle), swine fever, avian influenza (bird flu), and West Nile virus (in equine). These outbreaks often necessitate the slaughter of infected animal populations, and preventive culling is sometimes required.

Necessary national disease eradication measures pose an extreme threat to endangered livestock breeds, especially those with populations localized within a restricted geographical area. Although we fully subscribe to the need for disease eradication measures, we want to draw attention to several options to support the conservation of endangered breeds in the light of current and upcoming disease threats.

To help safeguard vulnerable and unique breeds of livestock, we recommend that national authorities consider the following actions:

• Prioritize vaccination: When a licensed vaccine is available, endangered breeds within a restricted sanitary area should be given the highest priority for immediate vaccination.

• Expand vaccination zones: Authorities should seriously consider extending vaccination protocols for endangered breeds to areas outside the formal restricted sanitary zones as a preventative measure.

• Implement specialized protocols: Where feasible at a national level, implement specific biosecurity and quarantine protocols for genetically unique breeding herds, particularly nucleus breeding herds of endangered breeds.

• Immediate genetic material collection: Safeguard breeds and their genetic diversity through gene bank collections (ex situ conservation):

• Semen collection: Rapid collection of semen from at-risk flocks is essential before potential contamination. Collecting epididymal semen is a viable option for quick field procedures. For reference, recommendations for in-field procedures and general presentations on ex situ conservation for small ruminants can be consulted here.

• Funding for conservation: Funding for the mid-term and long-term cryopreservation of semen and embryos should be established for all endangered breeds.

• Legislative derogations: 

• For the purpose of establishing and using gene bank collections, derogations in national animal health laws may be needed. Guidelines for developing national animal health regulations for material intended for gene banks are available here as well as a brief summary.

• Exceptions from preventive culling for endangered breeds are possible and should be implemented in national animal health legislations.