‘We cannot furlough sharks or penguins’
DEEP BOSSES COUNTING COST OF HAVING TO REMAIN CLOSED
THE Deep faces weeks without any income as it will have to remain closed when Hull heads into Tier 3.
The aquarium’s chief executive, Katy Duke, outlined how there is no way to cut down the cost of looking after the animals, declaring: “You cannot furlough sharks or penguins”.
The venue closed its doors when the national coronavirus lockdown came into force on November 5 and it could remain closed into the spring unless cases in the city fall enough to move into a lower tier.
Mrs Duke said: “We were anticipating that Tier 3 would be the result for Hull, so it wasn’t really a surprise and, while disappointing, clearly it’s what has to be done to get on top of the virus again.
“Being closed is very tough and adds to the challenges of what has been an incredibly difficult year.
“We knew this winter we would not be able to generate income from corporate events and Christmas parties, which would normally supplement the charity’s income during these off-peak months, but closure of the attraction again has taken us right back to the situation we were in earlier this year.
“Our husbandry team remains on site to care for our animals who are always our number one priority.
“Unlike other facilities, our running costs when closed still remain high as we can’t just close our doors and walk away.
“While we are incredibly grateful for the Government’s furlough scheme, it’s not possible to furlough sharks and penguins, which means you can’t furlough the people who care for them.
“All the associated costs of caring for them also remain such as keeping them fed and well and keeping the water filtration systems running and in good working order.”
The award-winning aquarium did not receive any grant funding from the Government during the first coronavirus lockdown earlier this year and is still unable to access any of the Government’s Zoo Animals fund
Instead, it only managed to secure a £700,000 loan under the Government’s business interruption scheme which has to be paid back over six years.
Mrs Duke said: “Unfortunately, we have not been able to access the Government’s Zoo Animals fund, so we are currently surviving on a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan.
“We are incredibly grateful to our amazing supporters who are using our online shop.
“We have seen an increase in orders coming through in recent weeks for Christmas gifts, vouchers and animal adoption packs, which is fantastic help to us.”
During the first lockdown, the venue tried to reduce its running costs by switching off lighting and heating in some parts of the building and turning off the power to interactive exhibits and some tanks after a number of animals were rehoused to share space with others. It also went through a redundancy process.
Now, around 90 per cent of its remaining 140 full and part-time staff are back into furlough.
Mrs Duke said the attraction had been operating at around 60 per cent of the its normal capacity for visitors since reopening in late July until closing again in November.
The Deep has launched a new plea for help to keep it going.
Mrs Duke said: “We have also launched a ‘Friends of The Deep’ campaign where people can donate to us online. “In return, their name will be displayed on a fish plaque in reception. It is hoped that it will create a fantastic art installation as people join our shoal.”
We are incredibly grateful to our amazing supporters who are using our online shop Katy Duke