Carranza, J. 2009. Calidad genética en la gestión de la caza mayor. En: Gestión Cinegética en los Ecosistemas Mediterráneos.. Sáenz de Buruaga, M. & Carranza, J. (Eds.). Publ. Junta de Andalucía.
Management of game species may involve a risk of alteration of their genetic properties. Local adaptations may be disrupted if artificially selected individuals from farms or those belonging to distant geographical areas are introduced to increase population density or trophy “quality”. In Spain, red deer (Cervus elaphus) from different European subspecies have been introduced to increase the size of trophies (antlers) of local populations. Legislation against these introductions is not effective for various reasons, and once the individuals are in the Iberian peninsula it is virtually impossible to prevent their spreading throughout the whole territory without a genetic tool to distinguish between autochthonous and foreign specimens. The rejection of foreign trophies decreases the value of the trophy so that it becomes more profitable to produce autochthonous deer. Using such a strategy at some critical step in the production or commercialization process may be a good model to apply in protecting genetic properties of exploited species.