Are traditional Swiss livestock breeds at risk of extinction?

New animal breeding ordinance jeopardises rare livestock breeds SRF

Breeding associations warn that Switzerland’s new animal breeding ordinance could jeopardise rare livestock breeds – and potentially push some closer to extinction.

The Bündner Oberländer sheep, for example, has a long and fragile history. Its predecessor, the Tavetsch sheep, virtually died out in Switzerland decades ago. The current breed was rebuilt from the few surviving animals and similar types. Today, the Association for the Preservation of the Graubünden Oberland Sheep fears for its future.

Asked whether the breed might become extinct, association president Ernst Oertle says: “Yes, it could. But I hope not. We are fighting back and doing everything we can to prevent this.”

Around 1,500 Graubünden Oberland sheep currently live in Switzerland. SRF

New assessments raise concerns

The source of breeders’ worries is the revised federal animal breeding ordinance. The new rules make breeding assessments more complex – and therefore more expensive. In addition, assessments are likely to be carried out less frequently by association members and more often by external inspectors. For Oertle, this is a major loss: “As an association, we would lose contact with the breeders, and there would be a lack of guidance.” That, he warns, could harm genetic diversity. “Then the Bündner Oberländer sheep will also be at risk.”

The assessment of sheep is currently very short. The government believes that this is no longer up to date. It needs to be more detailed. The breeding organisations fear that breeders could now stop breeding. SRF

Other breeds under pressure

Pro Specie Rara, the foundation dedicated to safeguarding traditional breeds, lists 38 at-risk livestock breeds in Switzerland, including goats, chickens, pigs and cattle. Many of these, it says, will struggle under the new ordinance.

One contentious issue is how the law now defines a breeding programme. A programme only counts if a breed is being “improved”. “This is a problem because we fear that the preservation of the genetic diversity of the breeds will be neglected,” says Maya Hiltpold, Project Manager Animals at Pro Specie Rara. But for traditional breeds, the goal is preservation rather than optimisation.

Pro Specie Rara looks after a total of 38 rare Swiss livestock breeds, such as the Capra Grigia. It believes that many of these are at risk due to the new animal breeding ordinance. SRF

For Pro Specie Rara, there are two reasons to protect and promote rare breeds: the breeds are part of Switzerland’s cultural heritage, and the breeds are adapted to the Swiss landscape and agriculture.

“We don’t know which characteristics we will need in the future,” Hiltpold says. That’s why a wide variety is important.

The Appenzeller Barthuhn chicken can also count on the support of Pro Specie Rara. Horse, cow and pig breeds are also supported. SRF

The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) downplays the concerns. Very little has changed, it argues, and “improvement” does not necessarily mean selecting for economically valuable traits, Christian Stricker, Head of Animal Breeding at the FOAG explains.

The Federal Office for Agriculture wants to strengthen, not weaken, rare livestock breeds with the new Animal Breeding Ordinance. SRF

The FOAG also recognises the importance of rare livestock breeds. “We have the same goal as Pro Specie Rara. We are investing CHF4.75 million ($5.9 million) in conservation contributions,” says Stricker. “This is biodiversity in action. We don’t know which genes will be important one day.”

Both FOAG and Pro Specie Rara agree that Switzerland’s rare livestock breeds must be protected and promoted – even if they diverge on whether the new animal breeding ordinance will help achieve that aim.

Translated from German using AI/amva/ts