The EU/Brexit vote and zoos

[MRJ]

Jersey isn’t in the U.K, and has never been part of the EU. Kind of makes me believe that the original story isn’t true though I’ll leave that to the experts.

As a "related entity" Jersey had access to the common market, although you are right they were not part of the EU as such.

I wonder how this effects other zoos in the UK? Overall it does not help in managing populations in European zoos generally.

Durrell does most of it's serious conservation breeding in range countries, so fortunately this would not have a significant effect on their conservation work.

 

[Cat-Man]

I wonder how this effects other zoos in the UK? Overall it does not help in managing populations in European zoos generally.

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I just don’t understand why brexit should have impacted that; it’s incredibly frustrating that it has. If anybody perhaps a little more informed than me in the subject can shed some light on what specific legislation has changed that would be appreciated.

 

[Zorro]

I just don’t understand why brexit should have impacted that; it’s incredibly frustrating that it has. If anybody perhaps a little more informed than me in the subject can shed some light on what specific legislation has changed that would be appreciated.

More likely political

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

As a "related entity" Jersey had access to the common market, although you are right they were not part of the EU as such.

I wonder how this effects other zoos in the UK? Overall it does not help in managing populations in European zoos generally.

Durrell does most of it's serious conservation breeding in range countries, so fortunately this would not have a significant effect on their conservation work.

It would not no ..., but it will have serious implications for work on the Jersey Zoo site. The current CEO had been the EAZA GM so this does not come out of the blue, really. I am afraid she is right and transfer arrangements including paper work and vet testing and regulatory work have become much more complex since the UK left the EU. Both the actual impacts of Brexit on trade and intercommunal relations with the Continent and more generally the indifference of the BJ / Big Dog government towards zoos in general is not helping, is it not?!!!

 

[MRJ]

I just don’t understand why brexit should have impacted that; it’s incredibly frustrating that it has. If anybody perhaps a little more informed than me in the subject can shed some light on what specific legislation has changed that would be appreciated.

I'm not sure where "GBR" is. However Britain was a member of the EU. As a member, trade, including trade in animals, was not much different from moving animals between states in the USA or Australia. Now it is no longer a member of the EU transfers become subject to whatever the regulations are for transfers between countries, eg Britain and the US. So a zoo in France has the choice of receiving or sending an animal, either from Britain or Germany. The German transaction is straightforward, the British transaction involves a large amount of paperwork plus additional testing and quarantine requirements. Which way would you go? This has become an enormous problem for British businesses generally, but of course much more problematic when dealing with live animals. But the Brits voted for it, so I guess they have to live with it.

 

[DDcorvus]

Animal movements are tightly regulated and covered by extensive veterinary legislation. With the UK not being in the EU and deciding not applying EU law in any area they made these movements very difficult for anyone trying to move animals between the UK and the EU. So this problem is not just affecting Jersey, but all UK zoos. And yes for zoos inside the EU it has become more interesting take an animal from another EU-based zoo, even though from a population management view it might have been better to get an animal from an UK zoo. What complicates further is that this is a new situation so the authorities involved are not completely sure how to approach it, plus there are other priorities as zoo animal movements are a niche market.

 

[Pertinax]

What complicates further is that this is a new situation so the authorities involved are not completely sure how to approach it, plus there are other priorities as zoo animal movements are a niche market.

I doubt anyone except zoos ever gave this any consideration of course, its another 'fallout ' situation. It could significantly impact zoo populations if the UK zoos effectively become more isolated from their EU counterparts. Jersey's highlighting these problems being a case in point.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I doubt anyone except zoos ever gave this any consideration of course, its another 'fallout ' situation. It could significantly impact zoo populations if the UK zoos effectively become more isolated from their EU counterparts. Jersey's highlighting these problems being a case in point.

This discourse is worth a thread of its own if you take it UK wide and not just restricted to Jersey. I remember WildWood echoing the same complaints when dealing with transfers from / to UK/EU. This has become particularly apparent in 2021 (compared to 2020).

 

[Cat-Man]

Animal movements are tightly regulated and covered by extensive veterinary legislation. With the UK not being in the EU and deciding not applying EU law in any area they made these movements very difficult for anyone trying to move animals between the UK and the EU. So this problem is not just affecting Jersey, but all UK zoos. And yes for zoos inside the EU it has become more interesting take an animal from another EU-based zoo, even though from a population management view it might have been better to get an animal from an UK zoo. What complicates further is that this is a new situation so the authorities involved are not completely sure how to approach it, plus there are other priorities as zoo animal movements are a niche market.

What an incredibly depressing read.