BIAZA & members shine a light on conservation in Parliament

Yesterday [22 November] BIAZA, Chester Zoo, RZSS (Royal Zoological Society of Scotland) and ZSL (Zoological Society of London) led the zoo and aquarium sector in shining a light on empowering communities and saving nature, during a special reception in the Houses of Parliament.

The event, ‘Communities at the Heart of Nature Recovery,’ saw speeches from the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, the event sponsor and member of the APPG for Zoos and Aquariums, Sarah Champion MP, and BIAZA CEO Dr Jo Judge.

Experts from across the zoo and aquarium sector came together to listen and speak to parliamentarians and urge the Government to support the work of good zoos and aquariums. The reception saw politicians from four different political parties and both the House of Lords and the House of Commons heard from experts of conservation work making a difference across the world.

BIAZA is supporting amendments to the Kept Animals Bill that will provide zoos and aquariums with the clarity and confidence to take forward their important work. Zoos and aquariums face a number of challenges including rising energy costs and the threat of avian influenza. BIAZA is calling for a meeting with Government Ministers to discuss these challenges.  

Politicians attending included senior politicians, members of the APPG for Zoos and Aquariums, many politicians with BIAZA members in their constituency and those interested in animals and conservation.

Polling research found that zoos are hugely popular with the public and recognized for their vital work in conservation and research. BIAZA zoos and aquariums receive nearly 35 million visits in a year, and support around 800 conservation projects in 105 different countries.