The National Bison Association (NBA) and the North American Bison Registry (NABR) currently accepts bison into the registry that contain domestic cattle genes as well as animals that have only been tested by a single limited test. These animals are all Registered DNA Certified bison.
The NBA/NABR is currently considering changes to the By-Laws of the NABR and to sort out the current confusion. The purpose of this survey is to inform the NBA of the opinions and thoughts of its membership and the bison industry at large.
Your opinion and views may affect these proposed changes.
Total Number Answering Survey: 39
Do you agree the NBA should stop registration until final decisions are made or should it just continue to allow questionable animals to be registered and try to sort it out later?
Do you agree that most people would assume that a NABR registered bison is pure bred (lacking cattle genes)?
Do you agree that most people would assume that a NABR Registered DNA Certified bison is pure bred (lacking cattle genes)?
Do you agree that having NABR registered and DNA certified animals that contain questionable genetic material (cattle or other genes) is misleading?
Do you agree that a NABR registered, DNA certified, bison implies that animal does not contain cattle alleles and is pure bison?
Do you agree that The North American Bison Registry should contain only animals without any cattle or other unknown alleles (i.e., pure bison to be best of our knowledge)?
Do you agree that all animals in a registry, to claim to be "NABR registered bison", should be DNA tested by the latest available technology and be completely free of cattle or other unidentified alleles/genes?
Do you agree that when new technologies become available, animals should be re-tested to maintain their registration status?
Do you think there should be a distinction between NABR Registered and NABR DNA Certified animals or should there just be NABR registered animals?
Do you believe that having both NABR Registered bison and NABR DNA Certified bison is confusing?
At present, lineage/ancestry reporting is limited to federal bison herds. Do you agree that lineage/ancestry should include private herds thereby allowing the industry to determine relatedness amongst and between private herds?
Do you agree that this information (lineage) would allow everyone to track and trace ancestries and lineages and use this information to improve herd management, increase herd diversity by locating unrelated or distantly related animals, and/or avoid the purchase of closely related animals?
Do you agree that anyone submitting DNA samples to the NABR for testing should agree to have their data made publically available, including but not limited to, the farm name and all alleles detected including those detected as part of introgression and diversity/lineage testing?
Do you agree that members should retain the right to have testing performed privately without public disclosure (i.e., independent of the NABR)?
Do you agree that the presence of cattle genes/alleles in individual bison should be kept confidential and proprietary, leaving disclosure up to the discretion of the owner/seller or should such information be made public?
Do you agree that keeping the presence of cattle genes/alleles a secret (proprietary and confidential information) indirectly supports their spread and propagation?
Do you agree that bison DNA sequences generated, whether just alleles or whole genomes, would provide a valuable resources for future investigations and a better understanding of bison genetics?
Do you agree that DNA sequences generated through the NABR should be deposited in a public database that can be accessed by members?
The NBA provides the opportunity for members to establish their herds as "conservation herds" with the primary purpose to "conserve the genetic integrity of the species".
According to the bylaws, to become a conservation herd, a fee must be paid and certain herd information provided. DNA testing is not required. To become a certified conservation herd, animals must be DNA tested; however, a certain amount of cattle and/or unknown genes will be allowed within a certified conservation herd. There are also no provisions that a certified conservation herd make any effort to eliminate the cattle genes/alleles from the herd. The Conservation Herd Bylaws are in need of serious modification and clarity.
Your answer to this survey may help clarify direction.
Do you believe a herd should be designated a conservation herd without any genetic testing when the stated purpose is to "conserve the genetic integrity of the species"?
Do you know how a herd could be "conserving the genetic integrity of the species" without any genetic (DNA) testing?
Do you know of anyway to "preserve the integrity of the species" other than by genetics and DNA testing?
If yes explain…
Allowing nature to determine the fittest animals to procreate will automatically eliminate weaker genes.
management practices that allow bison to be bison, to evolve and adapt over time with limit human influence as possible
Through phenotipic breeding.
I believer you must have the word "genetic integrity" to do the DNA portion. This "preserving the integrity of the species" could be to allow less domestic environment - large pastures, free choice/only pasture feeding, - more directed towards handling
Do you believe that a conservation herd that contains cattle genes/alleles and continues to propagate those genes is "conserving the genetic integrity of the species"?
END OF SURVEY