The EU/Brexit vote and zoos

[gentle lemur]

I will resist the temptation to write about the politics of the situation.
As far as the management of zoos are concerned, leaving the EU will make no difference at all. HMG will have so many urgent issues to confront that amending or rewriting the Acts of Parliament that implement the Zoos Directive and the Balai Directive will have no priority at all.
As lintworm has already pointed out, British zoos will be in the same position as Swiss zoos - and they seem to manage very well. The consequences for the British economy will undoubtedly affect zoos in the long term, but at this moment it is impossible to know what those consequences will be.

Alan

 

[Shorts]

I do not see why some people are getting so agitated over the result of a vote.

It's because such very substantial actions, with anticipated significant consequences will will be made based on such a small majority. Additionally there's no prospect of reversing the decision in the short, or probably even medium, term if it's not working. i.e. serious ramifications for generations.

This contrasts significantly with voting in a general election where most elected governments only have five years or less to make their changes which, in most cases, can be reversed by future government(s) if it's found they don't work or they're unpopular with the voters (sadly often the second reason rather than the first, but that's another debate). i.e. short-term effects which can be counter-balanced.

I believe the current government has passed, or is looking to pass, laws which say that unions can only take strike action if more than 50% of all people eligible to vote indicate a preference for strike action. i.e. there's more stringent laws to prevent train stoppages than to prevent the UK exiting a significant trading block it's been a member of for more than forty years. Personally I would have have wished a similar rule (and/or a higher majority requirement) for the EU referendum (and also for the previous and any future Scottish independence vote for that matter).

Finally, I believe the reason so many people are exacerbated by the exit conclusion is that, taking a very significant decision that 48% of those who expressed a preference oppose doesn't feel that much like democracy* (I realise the seeming absurdity of that assertion) -this could have been avoided with some kind of augmented majority threshold.

 

[temp]

Interesting top google searches in the UK after the results:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cltl4jFWEAEbnun.jpg:large
#ThingsPeopleShouldHaveSearchedBefore

Well, at least there are some supporters outside, including Trump congratulating them on their vote to leave EU just before landing in Scotland (!) and Marine Le Pen changing her twitter header to a Union Jack (it was up for about a day). I'm willing to bet that Rupert Murdoch and Putin are pleased too.

Regardless, there's one thing everybody can learn: Polls consistently underestimate the (far) right vote. This isn't a British thing but something that has been evident in elections in much of the the Western World.

we have to work on it together as a nation

Scotland, a nation. Northern Ireland. London (hardly realistic but an interesting idea). It'll be interesting to see how the "out politicians" are going to explain it to their votes when they head to Brussels with their request of free access to the EU market. Only to be told that it's connected to free (human) movement.

The UK as a political entity may no longer exist in a few years

Fortunately, a name for the remaining entity is available.
(sorry, I couldn't resist it )

______________

It'll be interesting to see how this will affect zoos. A cap on the UK economy is highly likely. Already evident by the reactions on stocks markets and by major credit rating agencies. However, some zoos may benefit from an increase in foreign and local tourists. The result of a lower pound. We could end in the strange situation where some UK zoos lost on the Brexit and other UK zoos won.

 

[animalsworld]

Not only are people that voted out are idiots but they are also uneducated ,get over yourself ,the people voted out ,live with it

 

[sooty mangabey]

Not only are people that voted out are idiots but they are also uneducated ,get over yourself ,the people voted out ,live with it

This was a factual statement, rather than a value judgement. Graduates voted to remain by about 70.30; those whose education did not go beyond GCSE level voted in similar proportions to leave (or, to be more precise, they said they would vote in this way - these figures are taken from polls, rather than from the vote itself). Similarly, readers of that fine newspaper The Daily Express voted about 80.20 to leave; Green Party supporters were about 80.20 to remain.....

As one of the key statements of the campaign came from that nice Mr Gove, when he claimed that people had had enough of experts, and as voting proved him correct (a small majority refused to accept the word of those who probably knew a great deal more than them, and instead went with a visceral fear of the other), I am not surprised in the slightest by your response here, @animalsworld.

 

[wensleydale]

If the pound is going to be low then maybe it's time to finally plan my trip to the U.K., how long is this low pound thing likely to last? I've always wanted to go to Manchester for some reason, even though I don't really know what's there. Thanks to my handy dandy U.S. Passport I probably won't have to worry about a visa, at least for now.

Anyway, one of the things I understand the lower skilled class of society was upset about was the number of equally low skilled workers coming in from Eastern Europe. In a sense they do have somewhat of a point because an influx of job seekers can drive down wages (I'm not saying its necessarily cool, I'm just explaining it). Also, I suspect that the Leave voters might not have been comfortable with the idea that someone else could just walk in and compete with them. So I could see why that might have influenced their voting leave.

 

[taun]

Anyway, one of the things I understand the lower skilled class of society was upset about was the number of equally low skilled workers coming in from Eastern Europe. In a sense they do have somewhat of a point because an influx of job seekers can drive down wages (I'm not saying its necessarily cool, I'm just explaining it). Also, I suspect that the Leave voters might not have been comfortable with the idea that someone else could just walk in and compete with them. So I could see why that might have influenced their voting leave.

And this is where the stupid thing is they voted out because of this but by leaving it wont change anything, as one of the criteria other European nationals that are part of trade deals is free movement of labour.

So they voted out and it wont change the reason they voted out.....the mind boggles at the idiocy of these people.

 

[Ned]

They voted out because they are people who lack the skills that might be in demand across Europe, who aren't bilingual and therefore have little chance to take advantage of free movement. The EU offered them nothing, they felt trapped in poverty while the croissant eating middle classes lived it up and enjoyed weekend breaks around the continent. The under privileged rose up and kick the middle classes in the balls. Added to this were a bunch of nostalgic old people who have now put their pensions at risk and will perhaps now live in recession for the rest of their lives, it's not the young who will suffer most. I voted in but think I can see why others didn't.

 

[Jana]

Deleted by me.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Please, let us leave it at that and get back to the on topic mode. The thread titling might not be so clear - and I fell for it at some point during this whole trip too - but the originator / author of this thread was simply asking what consequences the EU/BREXIT might have for zoos per se (and nothing else ..).

I would say now: it may or may not. Let us leave it for a couple of months and see what the tramps in Govt. elected or otherwise might do to / with existing UK legislation pertaining to zoos and animal transfers / vet controls. Okay?

 

[kiang]

Before Poland joined the EU, it was used as quarantine for the import of species from outwith Europe, used by both European and American collections.
Notably the N American population of royal antelope came through Poland as did the European population of Balabac chevrotain, Bornean bearded pig and although they didn't survive Javan warty pigs too.
Could that now we are out, be a role for the UK to take on again?

 

[Arizona Docent]

@ Kiang - Was Poland a quarantine station because they were not part of EU, or was that just a coincidence? Could it be they just had the facilities and their EU status was irrelevant. Or did it specifically come into play? I am asking this as an honest question, because I really do not know.

 

[kiang]

@ Kiang - Was Poland a quarantine station because they were not part of EU, or was that just a coincidence? Could it be they just had the facilities and their EU status was irrelevant. Or did it specifically come into play? I am asking this as an honest question, because I really do not know.

I believe it was because they were not part of the EU, their regulations were less stringent and since becoming a member the country has not been used in a similar vein.

 

[volvox]

I heard that vanity projects, eg HS2, might be cancelled as a result of brexit. Now that would be very good news indeed for London Zoo (just trying to look on the bright side!)

 

[Nikola Chavkosk]

I heard that vanity projects, eg HS2, might be cancelled as a result of brexit. Now that would be very good news indeed for London Zoo (just trying to look on the bright side!)

What's that HS2 project?

 

[volvox]

Oh, it's a new fast railway line to link London and Birmingham. Rather controversial because it will cost an enormous amount of money for little return. And the London end will take 14 years+ to build, and it would run right past London Zoo and be very disruptive indeed – roads closed for years, noise and pollution, and they wanted to take the zoo car park for construction vehicles; negotiations are ongoing and they have scaled that down to half the car park, but there is a resident hedgehog population so even that isn't ideal. Well, we'll see.

 

[wensleydale]

Oh, it's a new fast railway line to link London and Birmingham. Rather controversial because it will cost an enormous amount of money for little return. And the London end will take 14 years+ to build, and it would run right past London Zoo and be very disruptive indeed – roads closed for years, noise and pollution, and they wanted to take the zoo car park for construction vehicles; negotiations are ongoing and they have scaled that down to half the car park, but there is a resident hedgehog population so even that isn't ideal. Well, we'll see.

Anything that disrupts a zoo is not worth building in my opinion.

 

[Adrian k]

A little bit of light hearted humour coming -

I think the FA forgot to tell the players last Thursdays vote was to leave the EU and not the Euro's

 

[SHAVINGTONZOO]

I feel for the younger generation who did not want this, they came out and voted and now have to live with this.

Trouble is that few of them did. Turnout among under-25s was under 40%.

 

[wensleydale]

Trouble is that few of them did. Turnout among under-25s was under 40%.

I'm shocked. I would never skip an election that serious. Heck, I was anxiously waiting to be old enough to vote. My first election was like being in Candyland because I could finally go vote. And it was such a big election too, as big as the Brexit vote was for you this one was for us.