11th International Conference on Goats

The next International Conference on Goats will be in the Canary Isles (Spain) from September 24-27, 2012.

The Organizing Committee has chosen the Melia Las Palmas, a beautiful five star hotel, as the conference venue. This conference will be organized by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), in particular by the Veterinary Faculty in collaboration with other national and local organisms. ULPGC is highly specialized in goat health, production and research.

The Canary Isles are well known as a tourist destination and excellent facilities (hotels, restaurants, etc.) are available to delegates from luxury to economical. There are beaches, mountains and fabulous landscapes for delegates to enjoy. Additionally, the archipelago enjoys excellent flight connections (8 airports, 6 international).

These islands are a meeting point of the Atlantic cultures; Europe, America and Africa are close both geographically and culturally. The official language of the meeting will be English; the main web page contents will be available in English and Spanish, with translations of important documents into other languages (French, Arabic, Chinese, etc.) depending on the number of delegates speaking a particular language.

Currently, the conference will take place at the Veterinary Faculty Facilities - which reduces our costs. We are also in contact with the Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, negotiating free use of the installations of the Alfredo Kraus music hall. Hotel prices in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are varied, starting at 30 € per night for bed and breakfast.

Goats and the Canary Islands

The Canary Isles were conquered by Spain in the 13th and 14th centuries, and goats were already present on the isles. Canarian people have been raising goats for several centuries, and today goats are the most important livestock resource in the archipelago (more than 400,000 heads). There are three native dairy goat breeds in the Canary Islands – all with a common ancestor, the Paleocanaria goat – and almost 100% of their milk is used to make traditional cheese. The wild population disappeared during the last century although there are still signs of the ancient population in their domesticated offspring. Furthermore, recent studies using a linking network analysis of mitochondrial D-loop sequences has shown that Canary Island goats had an important influence in the building of American goat herds.

Registration

Before June 1, 2012 registration fees will be 350€ for delegates from developed countries, 200€ for those from developing countries and 100€ for students. Registration fees will include: conference bag, participation in scientific sessions and round tables, field trip, abstract book, conference proceedings, coffee breaks, lunches and welcome cocktail. After June 1st fees will be increased by 20%.

Scholarships

The organizers will award a limited number of scholarships for young scientists that wish to attend this meeting. Scholarships can be used for registration fees, lodging and travel expenses.

Theme and objectives

Currently, the proposed theme for this conference is: From Research to Development. This theme will try to bring together the needy with the knowledgeable to discuss how knowledge can help to solve real problems. The topic proposed includes most people working with goats and covers every aspect – research (nutrition, product quality, health, production system, milk and meat production, etc.) and extension; using goats commercially or to improve human comfort. A final decision on the theme will be made by the IGA board.

Conference Program

The conference program will include a day for administration affairs, registration, an IGA board meeting and the Welcome Ceremony. The scientific sessions will be divided in the following way: Invited speaker for all delegates and oral presentations; and poster discussions on the main topics (nutrition health, products, etc.). The technical tours (visiting farms and a cheese factory) will be scheduled for the final day of the conference. A variety of social activities (beach sports, go-kart races, etc.) during the conference will encourage attendees to get outside and enjoy all that the Canary Islands have to offer. A specific program for those accompanying delegates will run parallel with the scientific ones.

Scientific Program

The scientific program is being supervised by the Small Ruminant Research Editorial Committee. The SRR Editorial Board will choose the reviews and select the best papers to include in a special issue of SRR. The Scientific Committee will be independent from the Organizing Committee in order to reach the required degree of excellence, under the supervision of SRR Editorial Board.

If you would like to learn more about the Canary Islands watch this introductory video.

General information

Spain is a free country and religious toleration is practiced throughout with due respect being given to other customs.

The Canary Isles and particularly Gran Canaria are very safe places and only normal precautions need to be taken. Gran Canaria enjoys a spring climate all year round with average annual temperatures that fluctuate between 18 and 25 degrees centigrade.

Indeed, the international scientific community recognizes this as one of the cities with the best climate in the world thanks to a thorough study conducted by the University of Siracusa and reported in the US newspaper, USA Today.

The unusual relief of the island has given rise to a great variety of microclimates within Gran Canaria. While the climate is dry and sunny almost all year round in the coastal regions, particularly in the south, as you move up to higher altitudes the influence of the sea is reduced and the clouds are retained by the mountains. This produces great variations in temperature from the temperate zones of the lower regions or valleys and subtropical forests to the highest zones where the temperature can fall to 0 ºC. It’s not too unusual for people to go sunbathing and swimming on the beaches in the morning, and then playing in the snow on the mountain tops just one hour's drive later.
The sea is warm with temperatures fluctuating between 18 ºC in the winter months and 22 ºC during the rest of the year. This, together with the estimated annual rate of 2,700 hours of sunlight in Gran Canaria allow tourists to make the most of their day, whether on the beach, playing a sport, on a day trip or enjoying an outdoor activity. People often mistakenly think that if the winter is so warm on the islands then the summer must be overwhelming, but this could not be further from the truth. The summer in the Canary Islands is softened by the trade winds that refresh the archipelago serving it with pleasant summers with an average temperature of 24 ºC.

The health system in Gran Canaria is excellent and open to any visitor from the EU. Delegates from other countries outside this zone must have their own medical insurance. Visas may be required and the organizing committee will be pleased to write letters of invitation to help the delegates obtain them. Delegates should check in their own countries to ensure that they comply with these requirements.

Gran Canaria Island is extremely well connected with direct flights to the main cities in Europe (London, Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Paris, Roma, Munich, Frankfurt, etc.) and the rest of the world (Venezuela, Morroco, Cape Verde, Senegal). The distance from airport to city is short (20 km). Taxis (30€) or bus (5€) are usually used to cover the distance between the airport and the city.

Links to Tourist Programs

The following links may help to get an idea of the Canary Islands as a tourist destination.
www.grancanaria.com/patronato_turismo/283.0.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands
www.red2000.com/spain/canarias/g-canari/index.html
www.canariasfoto.com/indexes.php
www.canaryforum.com/

Possible accommodation
Below is a selection of some of hotels in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (the choice is much wider than this).
• Melia Las Palmas: es.solmelia.com/hotel/melia-las-palmas.htm
• Best Western Hotel Cantur: http://www.bestwesternhotelcantur.com/
• Hotel Fataga: http://www.hotelfataga.com/
• Tryp Iberia: es.solmelia.com/hotel/tryp-iberia.htm
• Hotel Santa Catalina: http://www.hotelsantacatalina.com/
• Hotel Apartamento Bajamar: http://www.ha-bajamar.com/
• NH Imperial Playa: http://www.nh-hoteles.es/
• Concorde: http://www.hotelconcorde.org/
• AC Gran Canaria: http://www.ac-hotels.com/

If you have questions, please contact: http://www.wmaker.net/igagoatworld/

You may also contact:

Dr. Juan Capote (jcapote@icia.es)
Dr. Anastasio Argüello (aarguello@dpat.ulpgc.es)
Christian DeVries (goats@heifer.org)