To confirm the success of "Hunting, fishing and traditions", a fixed appointment for lovers of Liguria and neighboring regions, in addition to the variety of exhibition offers and entertainment for all ages, also the choice of supporting moments of discussion on hunting topics, environment and hunting management. This year was no exception with the conference dedicated to red partridge, which brought together technicians and scholars committed to take stock of the situation and to suggest "good practice" to be put in place to optimize efforts and results.
Well coordinated by Massimo Lavaggi, member of the ATC, Dr. Giorgia Romeo, scientific referent of the FIdC Study Center, Prof. Silvio Spanò of the University of Genoa, Dr. Irene Pellegrino dell 'University of Eastern Piedmont, Dr. Luca Ciuffardi, technician ofAtc Genoa 2 Levante and Dr. Roberto Mazzoni della Stella, game biologist. To open the proceedings, the report by Dr. Romeo, focused on the practical example of genetic selection and research carried out by Scarlino public game production center (Grosseto).
Retracing the history of the Center, she focused in particular on the techniques used in the breeding of the partridge, which thanks to continuous work made it possible to obtain subjects certified by Ispra as genetically pure, but also the techniques used to have subjects endowed with greater capacity and speed of adaptation to the natural environment and therefore a higher survival rate. "One of the objectives of the Center - he recalled - is to be a model that can be copied and exported elsewhere, allowing the same results achieved in the province of Grosseto to be replicated". Prof. Spanò, who, as the moderator recalled, can rightfully be considered "The red" in Liguria and beyond, after having retraced the history of the species, he underlined how it is very adaptable if well bred and managed, as evidenced by the fact that its range in Italy has expanded, with areas that have a good success of reintroductions and some virtuous examples, brought forward with a very good one technical-scientific management approach. Dr. Pellegrino addressed the issue of the genetic conservation status of the species in Europe and in Italy.
Among the problems that put the red partridge at risk, he highlighted habitat modification, excessive harvesting, genetic pollution and genetic homogeneity. There is a general demographic decrease in populations due to management and environmental problems, but also a lack of genetic and demographic studies on the few natural populations. The data collected denounce the lack of self-sufficient populations capable of being used for repopulation and the eradication of hybrid subjects is very difficult. The word was then passed to Dr. Ciuffardi, who presented the genetic investigation conducted on the territory of ATC GE 2. “We deemed it necessary to make a qualitative leap.
So we commissioned to a French institute the genetic study of partridges present in the area and coming from populations used for restocking. The study, which would have been impossible without the involvement of hunters, showed that the genetic conservation status of redheads in the ATC territory is in line with what has been highlighted by the scientific bibliography of recent years, with a level of introgression that would seem to present hybridization rates lower than the Italian trend, demonstrating the rightness of the choice made regarding the supplier of the subjects used for restocking ".