Pitiüsa–Ibicenca goat conservation program: Current status

The Ibicenca or Pitiüsa goat is the most endangered goat breed of Spain. This breed occurs only on the Pitiüse islands (Ibiza and Formentera), with fewer than 147 animals on 17 different farms, indicating a clear risk of extinction. In response to this condition, a program to rescue the breed was initiated, involving: (1) the characterization of morphological variables of the breed, (2) the genetic characterization of the breed and (3) the initiation of an ex situ preservation program securing the participation of farmers, linked to the germplasm bank network of Spain. This paper describes the genetic characterization and ex situ plans that have been thus far developed. Genetic characterization, based on neutral allelic variation (using 27 microsatellite markers), was conducted along with 12 other goat breeds from Spain, all with known characterization, to serve as referential breeds for assessing the status of the Ibicenca or Pitiüsa goat in the current context of goat genetic resources of Spain. The ex situ program was initiated by selecting unrelated bucks and training them to produce semen for conservation purposes. Results from the genetic characterization showed that the Ibicenca or Pitiüsa goat is a single genetic entity, and is more related to Continental breeds of Spain than to breeds from the other Balearic islands. This finding justifies its conservation by means of cryopreservation of semen. The ex situ plan obtained 384 semen doses from 3 sires collected in the Pitiüse islands, which are to be used in AI programs in the future. These samples were stored in two replicates: one at the Regional Germplasm Bank of Mallorca Island for Mallorca breeds and the second, as a backup, at the Spanish National Germplasm Bank located in Madrid. The implementation of this plan, in particular the establishment of an ex situ conservation condition, prevents the potential risk of extinction faced by this breed. The plan well accepted by farmers will be linked to research on the production and adaptive traits of the breed to identify attributes that could potentially enhance its economic value and allow its population expansion in situ.