Under the Albanian National Action Plan for Farm Animal Genetic Resources, the first action is the identification and phenotypic and genotypic characterization of native/in-digenous goat breeds. Research on the genetic characterization of Albanian goat breeds, and evaluation of the distances among different Albanian breeds and between them and other regional breeds have been carried out. In Albania, two scientific groups are responsible for this field of research. These groups have carried out research to evalu-ate polymorphism at the desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) level and the genetic distances among different native/indigenous goat breeds (Hykaj, Hoda and Papa, 2012). However, the results of identification, characterization and management of these animal genetic resources are still not enough. The factors with the greatest negative effects are, on the one hand, the limited financial resources for implementation of the National Action Plan and the limited opportunities for subsidizing goat breeds at risk of extinction and, on the other hand, the lack of genetic and/or breeding programmes and the infrastructure necessary for their implementation..
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In-situ conservation programmes
Description of the Velipoja goat ecotype: Medium-sized animals with very developed and harmonic skeleton, chest girth 80–91 cm, diagonal length 72–82 cm, shin girth 9–10 cm, teat length 6.2–7.8 cm, long head, bulging eyes, backwards leaning horns that are thin at the end, red and black-coloured mantle.
Beard and wattle are present. Ears are medium sized.
Photo 1: Velipolja goat (Source: Kristaq Kume, 2014)
Objectives
¾ Developing a Velipoja goat breeders’ association as a voluntary union of farmers to be responsible for the implementation of in-situ conservation programmes: 15 farmers, 500–600 animals.
¾ Application of economic mechanisms to enable implementation of milk collection and processing schemes.
¾ Establishment of local, village-based centres for milk processing to produce local products labelled “Cheese of Velipoja goat”.
Description of the Caporre e Mokrrës goat breed: Small-sized body, arched nasal profile of males, straight nasal profile of females. Males have arched horns, females are without horns. Both females and males have a tassel of wool on their fronts. Neck is short and slightly muscular. Abdomen is rounded and slightly voluminous. Well-developed and rounded udder. White to reddish-coloured fleece. Wool covers all body, neck, basal part of head and tale. Length of hair is 40–45cm, shorter over ribs and abdomen. Hair of the face is of brick-red colour. Some animals have brick-red-coloured extremities.
Photo 2: Caporre e Mokrrёs goat (Source: Kristaq Kume, 2014)
Objectives: Selection of a new generation of males and females to serve as reproducers.
Establishment of 10–15 lines of male reproducers for a five-year period.
Steps of the in-situ conservation programme are:
65 1. Selection of target farms according to the criterion of size of herds – those with at
least 20–30 goats;
2. Selection of goats and bucks that markedly express phenotypic characteristics of the breed;
3. Earmarking of animals, establishment of herd book;
4. Compilation and implementation of controlled natural matching scheme;
5. Compilation and implementation of the Veterinarian Protocol.
Ex-situ conservation
Establishment of national cryobank for somatic cell conservation: Although there are facilities in Albania that could be used for the collection and freezing of goat semen, no practical collections are currently being made. Establishment of a cryobank where samples of bucks’ semen could be conserved is, therefore very difficult. A possible solution would be the establishment of a cryobank of somatic cells.
Activities:
• identification of indigenous/native/local goat populations that are at risk of ex-tinction;
• selection of animals with fully and clearly expressed characteristics of the respec-tive indigenous/narespec-tive breed and/or local goat population;
• sampling of somatic cells – i.e. tissue, blood;
• addressing of legal issues to facilitate establishment of a cryoconservation bank.
National genebank for ex-situ, in-vivo conservation:
Activities:
• identification of indigenous/native/local goat populations at risk of extinction;
• capacity building to support establishment of the necessary infrastructure for breeding animals for herd collection;
• compilation and implementation of genetic programmes for ex-situ, in-vivo con-servation.
Currently, two native sheep breeds – Shkodrane and Lara e Polisit – are being bred in an ex-situ, in-vivo genebank (Cili, Caca and Toska, 2013).
References
Bleta, V. Gjurgji, F. & Mali, M. 2002 Goat farming. Tirana, Agricultural University.
Çili, A., Caca, J. & Toska, K. 2013. Preliminary results of the ex-situ in vivo conservation programs: Native sheep breeds “Shkodrane” and “Lara e Polisit”. IX International Sym-posium – Biodiversity and Sustainable Rural Development.
Dedej, Z. 2006. National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Insitute of Nature Con-servation in Albania. www.grida.no/biodiv/national/Albania
FAO. 2007. The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources and the Interlaken Declaration. Rome.
Hajno, L., Kume, K. & Dema, A. 1996. Krahasimi morfo-biometrik i disa popullatave tradicionale të dhisë në Shqipëri. Bulletini i Shkencave Bujqesore, 2: 43–48.
Hykaj, G., Hoda, A. & Papa, L. 2012. Study of genetic structure of six Albanian goat pop-ulations based on 30 microsatellite markers. VIII International Symposium – Biodiversity
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and Sustainable Rural Development, October 2012. Tirana.
Kume, K. 1998. The present state of sheep and goat farming in Albania – actual situation and development issues. REU Technical Series No. 50, S. Kukovics ed. pp. 15–21. Buda-pest, FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. http://www.fao.org/regional/
europe/pub/rts50/008.htm#Kume
Kume, K., Bicoku, Y. & Papa, L. 2002. Sheep and goat production in hill and mountain-ous regions in Albania: Extension service and government subsidies. Option Méditer-ranénnes, 61: 271–277.
Kume. K., Papa, L. & Hajno, L. 2012. Effects on milk production in F1 crossbred of Alpine goat breed(♂) and Albanian goat breed (♀). Italian Journal of Animal Science, 11(3):
258–261.
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