Zoo fears impact on conservation of ‘no deal’ Brexit

BREXIT could threaten the work of the Westcountry’s biggest zoos, the conservation charity which runs them fears.

The supply of animal feedstuffs and veterinary medicines, continued participation in international conservation programmes and economic uncertainty are all in question, the Wild Planet Trust, which runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, said.

Trust spokesperson Phil Knowling said: “BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is working with DEFRA to do whatever it can to help its members.

“The zoo community’s main concern is the high level of uncertainty. Even now, we don’t know what sort of Brexit to prepare for.

“In practical terms, we think animal feedstuffs might be harder to come by and more expensive, and we can’t stockpile them because they will go out of date.

“The same goes for veterinary drugs – we’ll be outside the EU veterinary medicine regulatory networks.

“Recruiting people, especially seasonal staff, might also become more difficult.

“Animal moves could become harder, with more or different paperwork and longer delays, particularly for animals covered by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

“The number of ports open to exotic

animal movements is likely to be reduced.

“The role of top UK zoos in European breeding programmes might diminish as EU institutions find it easier and more practical to work with each other rather than with us.

“The UK zoo community is too small to manage animal populations alone but finding other networks elsewhere in the world is likely to prove unworkable on cost and environmental grounds.”

The trust also fears that, in the longer term, environmental protection laws originating from the EU might be discarded or weakened by the UK.

“The economy is the big unknown for

‘We think animal feedstuffs will become more expensive - and we cannot stockpile them’ PHIL KNOWLING

all of us. It seems likely that Brexit will damage growth and reduce secondary spend on things like zoo visits, so we anticipate that guest numbers and therefore income could fall.

“On the other hand, there may be more staycations, so that might offset some of the fall.”