Brexit deal failure may threaten rare species breeding programmes

Sector chief’s warning over loss of free movement of animals in EU

The ability of British zoos to breed and protect endangered species could be damaged if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, the sector’s chief has warned.

Kirsten Pullen, chief executive of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Biaza), said animals with shorter life spans such as rare types of rodent could be among the most vulnerable to a cliff-edge departure.

And she said the Government’s “lack of clarity” about its vision for Brexit is “very concerning” and causing a lot of uncertainty for the sector.

Warning of the dangers of no Brexit deal, Ms Pullen told the Press Association: “It is hard to pinpoint a particular species within our breeding programmes because all of them could potentially be impacted if we suddenly can’t deal on a European basis, or it’s much harder to deal on a European basis.”

This could result in zoos having to “re-evaluate” what they can do, she said.

Currently there is effectively free movement of zoo animals across the EU as all member countries sign up to the same standards of animal health and welfare.

Zoos often give their animals to one another as part of coordinated breeding programmes, so they can find a mate and draw on a bigger gene pool.

If Britain fails to secure a deal which maintains EU-recognised rules then UK zoos could find themselves out of this club and having to negotiate deals country by country – a process Ms Pullen warns could be very bureaucratic and time consuming.

Ms Pullen said: “It is just really unclear at the moment as to how this is going to happen and what the potential impacts are, and we are very concerned.”

PA. Zoo chiefs are concerned about what Brexit will mean for their animals.