Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen

The Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen[lower-alpha 1] or GEH is a German national association for the conservation of historic and endangered domestic animal breeds.

Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen
AbbreviationGEH
MottoErhalten durch Nutzen
Formation1981 (1981)
TypeEingetragener Verein
Purposelivestock conservation
HeadquartersWitzenhausen, Hesse, Germany
Official language
German
Chairman
Karl-Heinrich Göpel[1]
Deputy chairman
  • Armin Friedrich
  • Karola Stier[1]
Treasurer
Thomas Schumacher[1]
Secretary
Antje Feldmann[1]
Main organ
Vorstand
Websitewww.g-e-h.de

History

The GEH was founded on 5 December 1981 in the Rottal, in Lower Bavaria in southern Germany.[2] It has about 2100 members. Since it was founded, no domestic livestock breed has become extinct in Germany.[3]

Activities

The GEH co-operates with other national and international organisations for the conservation of biodiversity.[3] It publishes an annual Rote Liste or red list of endangered breeds of livestock, which attributes one of four categories of conservation risk to domestic breeds of cattle, dogs, goats, horses, pigs, rabbits and sheep, of chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys, and of bees; listing of domestic pigeon breeds is in preparation.[4] Some breeds from outside Germany are listed separately. The four levels of risk are:

  • I: extrem gefährdet, "extremely endangered"
  • II: stark gefährdet, "seriously endangered"
  • III: gefährdet, "endangered"
  • Vorwarnstufe, "alert"

The risk level is calculated using a formula that takes into account five criteria: the number of breeding animals or breeding females; the percentage of pure-bred matings; the five-year trend in breed numbers; the number of breeders or herds; and the interval between generations of the animal.[5]

The GEH also publishes, in conjunction with the Bund Deutscher Rassegeflügelzüchter, the German national association of poultry breeders, a separate list of the historic poultry breeds and colour varieties that were raised in Germany before 1930. The same levels of conservation risk are assigned as in the main red list.[6]

Endangered breed of the year

Since 1984 the GEH has each year named one or more animal breeds as "endangered breed of the year". To date, these have been:[7]

Note
  1. Translatable as: "the society for the conservation of old and endangered livestock breeds"

References
  1. Der GEH-Vorstand (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed April 2019.
  2. R. Seibold (n.d.). Ziele, Organisation und Arbeitsweise (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 30 August 2011.
  3. Über uns (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 2 February 2017.
  4. Rote Liste der GEH e.V. (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 16 November 2016.
  5. Die Rote Liste der gefährdeten Nutztierrassen der GEH (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 2 February 2017.
  6. Gemeinsame Liste alter und einheimischer Geflügelrassen in Deutschland der GEH und des BDRG (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 2 February 2017.
  7. Gefährdete Nutztierrasse des Jahres im Überblick (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 23 November 2016.


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