Por Mónica Cunha (Investigadora do INIAV IP, membro integrado do cE3c - CSES group, membro colaborador do BioISI, Professora Convidada da FCUL).

The Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Rural Development (MAFDR) determined the foundation of a nine-member partnership, coordinated by INIAV IP and including public administration, the academia and first level Hunting Organizations (OSCs), to implement an integrative strategy aimed at limiting the cascading effects exerted by epizootics on wild rabbit populations (dispatch 4757/2017, 31 May). An Action Plan comprising twelve major measures within four intervention axis (Research Program, Good Management Practices, Sanitary Surveillance, Communication) was approved and immediately put into action. The multidisciplinary activities carried out include a national surveillance network to characterize wild-rabbit demography and health status, molecular characterization of circulating viruses, the development of rabbit supplementary feed, production of an oral vaccine for free-ranging animals, and a roadmap for communication, education and knowledge transfer. Although this project is still in its infancy, the strict cooperation between the scientific community, hunting organizations, landowners, managers and hunters in a one-year period have already positively impacted on the field and on the way stakeholders look at research institutions and academia. This working platform served as model for the creation of the recently established Center of Expertise for the Study, Management, and Sustainability of Game Species & Biodiversity, whose mission is to promote hunting and the sustainable exploitation of hunting resources, in parallel with biodiversity protection, rural development, education and valorization of hunting products.

I will discuss ongoing activities, the main results and the strategic agenda of these two interrelated working platforms.