Annual Report 2015 EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION of ZOOS and AQUARIA Annual Report 2015
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Annual Report 2015 EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIA Annual Report 2015 Contents 3 Mission and Vision 4 Report from the Chairman 5 Report from the Executive Director 10 Aquarium Committee 11 Communications Committee 12 Conservation Committee 14 Education Committee 15 EEP Committee 18 Legislation Committee 19 Membership & Ethics Committee 20 National Associations Committee 21 Research Committee 22 Technical Assistance Committee 23 Veterinary Committee 25 EAZA Academy 27 Treasurer’s Report 27 Financial Report 30 Governance and Organisational Structure 31 EAZA Council 32 EAZA Executive Office 33 EAZA Members 41 Corporate Members Cover image: Pallas’ Cat (Otocolobus manul) © Tom Svensson, Norden’s Ark 2 Annual Report 2015 Mission and Vision Our Mission “EAZA’s mission is to facilitate co-operation within the European zoo and aquarium community with the aim of furthering its professional quality in keeping animals and presenting them for the education of the public, and of contributing to scientific research and to the conservation of global biodiversity. It will achieve these aims through stimulation, facilitation and co-ordination of the community’s efforts in education, conservation and scientific research, through the enhancement of co-operation with all relevant organisations and through influencing relevant legislation within the EU.” Our Vision “To be the most dynamic, innovative and effective zoo and aquarium membership organisation in Europe” 3 Annual Report 2015 Report from the EAZA Chairman fter the enormous upheavals of 2014 it is GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF ANIMALS IN PUBLIC a relief to be able to report more normal DEMONSTRATIONS WERE INITIATED IN 2015 levels of activity for the Association in A2015. Not that it was a year completely free of controversy, but at least the discussions were not so divisive and personalised. An area of debate was around the potential blurring of the distinction between zoos that have circus-like shows, and circuses that want to engage in more zoo-like activity. Our Council has been quite clear that circuses cannot be members of our association. Regardless of what one thinks about animal management practices within circuses their goals and aims are simply too different from ours. We know that our visitors enjoy, and get value from, animal demonstrations within our zoos but there is a line between a demonstration and a circus-like months longer than I was supposed to……..) and show. We have adopted a definition of what is an with my previous three years as Vice-Chair also acceptable demonstration in an EAZA zoo and taken into account I really do think it is time for a it was not an easy task to do so. I would like to change in leadership! It has been a great privilege thank those of our members who gave such deep to be able to play a part in the development of and insightful thought, not to mention so much of EAZA and to watch it slowly becoming a mature their time, to the drafting of the EAZA Guidelines and confident Association with a clear vision on the use of animals in public demonstrations. It for what we can do, as a community of zoos, in will assist our accreditation teams in assessing the conservation and education. I have enormously activity of members in this area and has already enjoyed the interactions that I have had with so allowed Council to take a strong stance with one or many of our members and words cannot express two members that have clearly crossed the line. SIMON TONGE, my appreciation for the support and guidance that In highlighting the above concern I am not PAIGNTON ZOO, I have received. I have worked with two brilliant trying to draw particular attention to divisive issues PAIGNTON, UK Directors of the association, Lesley Dickie and within the Association. Rather I am trying to show CHAIRMAN Myfanwy Griffith, our Celtic tigresses, and with that because we do not shy away from dealing an inspiring cross-section of our membership on with difficult or contentious matters it makes the both the Executive Committee and Council. I have Association stronger not weaker. We develop a mentioned before how we are envied by other moral authority that stands us in good stead when communities because of our sense of purpose and talking truth to power, such as in the national and shared goals, and how these translate into long and regional governing bodies with which we interact. lasting friendships. If my belief, that it is our duty If EAZA can become a ‘go to’ organisation on to try to leave the world in a slightly better place matters relating to areas where people and wildlife than we found it, is true then I think that EAZA is meet then this will reflect well on all our individual stronger than it was six years ago, so I am content. I members and strengthen their positions within shall continue to provide support and advice to my their local communities. successor, if he or she wants it (!), and hope to go By the time this annual report appears I will no on participating in the activities and development longer be Chairman of our Association. I shall of EAZA in the future. Thank you all, and goodbye CARLOS DELGADO CC DELGADO CARLOS have been in the role for six and a half years (six (for now...). 4 Annual Report 2015 Report from the EAZA Executive Director he 2013/14 period was a busy one for EAZA with many challenges and changes, not least that of a change in Executive THE GIANT ANTEATER EEP WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TDirector at the end of 2014. I have now completed PROGRAMMES SET UP IN 1985 my first year in the role and am immensely proud of all the good work the Association has achieved throughout 2015. It is clear that EAZA has emerged stronger and more focused after the turbulent times of the past. This is not to say that the year has been uneventful - with such a diverse and passionate membership there will always be debate about how we progress - it is more that the core values and ‘EAZA spirit’ that brought us together in the beginning still hold true to the activities we want to pursue today. 2015 marks 30 years of EAZA EEP breeding programmes; their success, and the current evaluation of what might be the best structure for the next 30 years, demonstrate how EAZA continues to forge a progressive path for the continent’s zoo and aquarium community. Breeding programmes, however, are only one facet of the work we undertook in 2015 to fulfil the Association’s strategic goals - we have also been active across our other focal areas: Engagement with the European Union EAZA contributed to the EU Zoos Directive Best The decision in 2013 to move from working with Practice document which was communicated to public affairs company Grayling, to appointing the membership promptly following publication. a full time EAZA EU Policy Manager Based in Towards the end of 2015 EAZA was also part of a Brussels continues to be successful. The current consortium biding for the tender to carry out the positon holder, Daniel Nuijten, has been working evaluation of the implementation of the EU Zoos closely with the Legislation, Veterinary and Directive. Results of this tender process will be National Associations Committees as well as Taxon known in early 2016. Advisory Groups and individual members to bring EAZA Committee members and Executive EAZA into a variety of conversations in Brussels. Office staff have also been busy in Brussels, Amongst other things this resulted in EAZA MYFANWY establishing connections and attending a variety contributing to work on the new Animal Health GRIFFITH, of meetings. This varied from meeting MEPs Bas law, joining the European Commission’s working EXECUTIVE Eickhout (to discuss support for the Pole to Pole group on Invasive Alien Species to participate in DIRECTOR Conservation Campaign) and Catherine Bearder how this Regulation will be implemented, and (to discuss the ongoing use of shark squalene in contributing to the European Commission Action cosmetics), to connecting with, among others, the Plan on Wildlife Trafficking. EAZA was also IUCN Brussels office, European Association for involved in the stakeholder consultation process Aquatic Mammals (EAAM) International Fund for the Birds and Habitats Directives REFIT for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and Eurogroup for CC KLOISIIE CC process. animals. 5 Annual Report 2015 encourage everyone to continue to be involved in this important work. One of the key developments in helping us fulfil our conservation goals is the EAZA Conservation database (www.eazaconservation.org). Since the official re-launch in September 2014, EAZA members have been adding their projects to help create an overview of all our members’ conservation activities. This enables EAZA to give a more complete picture of the extensive scope of the conservation work our members are involved in. Current projects in the database add up to €32 million in registered EAZA contributions to conservation across 1133 projects! This information is invaluable in our communication efforts to raise the profile of EAZA zoos, so if you have not entered your data yet please do so. POLE TO POLE CAMPAIGN Maximising Conservation Action Conservation Learning and Engagement ACTIVITIES AT MULHOUSE 2015 saw the end of the highly successful EAZA zoos and aquariums provide a fantastic ZOO. Pole to Pole Campaign. This was a departure opportunity for 140 million people annually to from previous EAZA campaigns, focusing on learn about nature. However, it is increasingly encouraging people to change their behaviour and apparent that just providing knowledge about ‘pull the plug’ rather than fundraising. By the end animals in our collections is no longer enough; of the Campaign over three thousand people had to achieve meaningful impact in collective pledged to unplug over 12,000 electronic devices.