ST. PETERSBURG, February 26. /TASS/. Scientists of the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences for the first time conducted a large-scale study of reindeer breeding in the USSR and Russia. Obtained results show a crisis in this animal husbandry branch, and some deer breeds need urgent measures from extinction, the Center's press service told TASS.

"The Evenki breed (an ancient native deer breed adapted to the mountainous taiga in Siberia. The breed is known for high-endurance animals having big bones - TASS) is currently in a deep crisis: urgent measures are needed to save it from extinction. The present livestock in Russia is 22,000 animals, which is 219% less than it was 20 years ago," the press service said.

Reindeer are bred by indigenous peoples living in the Arctic, and for those regions deer are the main traditional economic activity, and the animals also contribute to survival of local peoples, to preservation of their culture, customs and languages. Russia has four deer breeds: Nenets, Chukchi, Evenk and Evenki.

According to the Center, the Nenets breed is the leader in terms of numbers (about 1,400,000 animals). This bread is likely to retain the leadership over next 3-5 years. The Chukchi breed ranks second (more than 226,000 animals), but its development requires measures to stimulate reindeer husbandry in northeastern Russia. The Evenk breed also needs such measures urgently, as its population has decreased by 166% (87,000 animals) over recent 20 years. Without government support, the breed's number apparently is likely to continue declining.

"Based on our analysis, we can identify three types of key problems that the modern Russian reindeer breeding industry is facing: environmental influences, instability and poor feed quality, which prevent the complete development of the animal genotype; a lack of qualified specialists; a lack of records on heredity and the breeding animal market, which makes breeding work unprofitable," the press service quoted the Center's expert Alexander Yuzhakov as saying.

What scientists have to recommend

Nowadays, the Center said, scientific work on reindeer breeding requires major financial investment. All the work carried out in Russian reindeer husbandry sector is done by individual enterprises without proper guidance or consultation from reindeer scientists. Moreover, scientific methods and breeding standards are often deliberately ignored, which affects the breeding animals' quality.

To increase the breeding efficiency, scientists recommend first of all limiting the number of breeding herds - 1,500 deer per herd in the tundra and 800 in the taiga. Secondly, it is necessary to organize accurate and ongoing records of animals' origins (genetic passports). Besides, it is necessary to assess the seed material's quality, they say.

Thirdly, new specialized breeding farms should be registered only after developed detailed plans and forecasts of breeding work and breeding needs at local and regional levels. The sale of breeding deer to other regions may be a solution to reduce the burden on tundra pastures, as well as to revive reindeer husbandry in the taiga.