The role and organization of cryopreservation for local cattle breeds in France, Finland, Italy and the Netherlands

Within the framework of the EU funded Action EURECA (AGRI GEN RES 870/2004) cryopreservation activities related to local cattle breeds were studied in detail in four countries: Finland, France, Italy and the Netherlands. For each country, historic developments, existing structures and institutions involved in cryopreservation as well as their role, strategies and protocols related to local cattle breeds were investigated. Moreover, we made a complete inventory of semen and embryo collections, available at commercial AI organizations, with breed associations or individual breeders or in national cryoreserves. The inventory included bull variation, number of doses per bull and sanitary and legal status of the material. For each local breed we determined the availability of semen for short term breeding objectives and for long term conservation of within breed genetic variation. General objectives of cryopreservation activities are comparable between countries. However, countries have specific strategies and policies, and roles of particular national stakeholders are country-specific. One example of identified differences is the relationship between long term cryoreserves and commercial collection and use of semen (by AI centres). We carried out a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis for the situation in each country, we identified risks related to cryopreservation activities, and suggested options for further development at national and European level.