2/15 May 2015 All At SEAA | p 8 Ocean of Opportunities | p 11 Disease Transmission | p 13 WAZA Annual Report 2014 | insert IIII WAZA 2/15 WAZA 2/15 1 Lee Contents Editorial Ehmke President’s Page Presidents of WAZA (Part Two) – Memories & Reflections Alex Rübel ...........................................................................2 WAZA looks to the regional and Ed McAlister ........................................................................3 national associations to provide Gordon McGregor Reid ........................................................4 assurance that the zoos and aquari- Mark Penning ..................................................................... 6 ums in their spheres of influence are Jörg Junhold ........................................................................7 meeting standards of professional All at SEAA ......................................................................... 8 conduct and animal welfare that cor- Ocean of Opportunities ..................................................... 11 respond with WAZA’s Code of Ethics Animal to Human Disease Transmission ........................... 13 and Animal Welfare. We also work WAZA Interview: Inger Andersen .......................................15 with partners like Wild Welfare to My Career: Eric Stephens ...................................................16 investigate and where possible assist Book Reviews ....................................................................18 facilities that are not meeting mini- Announcements ................................................................20 mum standards. In instances where First Biodiversity Award: Call for Applications ...................20 improvement is not forthcoming, Recent Updates .................................................................22 WAZA does have the option of sus- WAZA Decade Project: We Need YOU! .............................22 pending or expelling members. This Whale Shark Research &Conservation ..............................23 is only done in circumstances where Breaking the Brand ...........................................................25 © Jean-Guy Python Gerald Dick at the WAZA Executive Office. all efforts to encourage and facilitate Wanted: New Holders for the Somali Wild Ass .................27 improvement through dialogue and New Exhibit News: Dear WAZA members and friends! © LE constructive criticism have failed. Afrikarium, Wrocław Zoo ................................................. 28 Lee Ehmke. Cats in Simon Bolivar Zoo .................................................30 This edition of the WAZA News features a second com‑ At the just-concluded mid-year WAZA Projects: pilation of former WAZA presidents’ memories as we meeting of WAZA Council, the diffi- Northern Bald Ibis in Italy ................................................. 31 celebrate our 80th year; a focus on marine species and Over the past several months there WAZA is not, and cannot be, a zoo/ cult decision was reached to suspend Northern Bald Ibis in Spain................................................32 procurement; and highlights the World’s Ocean Day. has been an unusually high level of aquarium “police force.” Lacking the membership of JAZA for failure Veterinary Capacity for Bears in SE Asia ........................... 33 Over the last few months WAZA has faced media at‑ global media attention focused on jurisdictional authority or any other to comply with WAZA’s Code of Eth- International Studbooks ...................................................34 tacks by an Australia ‑based dolphin advocacy group, WAZA. While it is often said that enforcement tools, WAZA’s primary ics and Animal Welfare, related to Call For Papers ...................................................................34 which has also initiated a legal procedure against “all publicity is good publicity,” in impact comes from our development the continued involvement of JAZA Obituary: Saul Kitchener ....................................................36 WAZA in Switzerland. This group, under the misap‑ this case that is debatable, as for and articulation of strategies and the members in the Taiji dolphin drive prehension that WAZA is in some way the world’s zoo the most part the recent stories cross-pollination that comes from the hunt. This was only done after con- and aquarium “police,” has wrongly asserted that have been both unfairly critical and interaction of zoological profession- ducting an extensive and thorough WAZA has been supporting the Japanese dolphin drive wildly inaccurate. There appears to als from very different cultures and process of due diligence as required fisheries in Taiji, in contradiction to our commitments to be significant misunderstanding of economies. by our bylaws. While we regret los- conservation and animal welfare. what WAZA is and what we are able ing the opportunity to engage direct- In numerous statements WAZA has been very clear to do. Much of this misinformation – For 80 years WAZA has brought ly with JAZA to improve practices that the opposite is true. WAZA has worked tirelessly, whether intentional or not – has been together zoos (and more recently and to achieve mutual conservation attempting to use dialogue and persuasion with the generated by groups opposed to the aquariums) from across the globe. goals, this action was necessary to Japanese Zoo and Aquarium Association (JAZA) to infamous Taiji Japan dolphin ‘fishery.’ In its earlier years, this was limited lift up and support the great work of Imprint move toward an eventual phase out of the dolphin WAZA has consistently expressed op- to a few select major European zoos. the vast majority of WAZA members drive fishery, which we find unacceptable and not in position to the hunt and the live take As it has evolved, WAZA’s member- and associated zoos and aquariums Editor: Gerald Dick, compliance with our Code of Ethics. This has been an of dolphins for display that accompa- ship has expanded to include many committed to high standards of WAZA Executive Office extremely difficult issue, requiring balance between nies it, and has worked to convince zoos and aquariums from several animal welfare and effective conser- IUCN Conservation Centre diplomacy, discipline and strategic guidance. WAZA the members of the Japanese Asso- continents, and perhaps most impor- vation efforts. Rue Mauverney 28 Council has recently concluded an extensive process ciation of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) tantly now includes zoo associations CH-1196 Gland of due diligence and has reached a decision on suspen‑ to restrict or end their participation as members as well. Many of these Switzerland sion of JAZA’s membership in WAZA. In the next edition in the drive hunts. Despite WAZA’s associations, particularly the estab- Phone: +41 22 999 07 90 I will summarize the whole situation. efforts to use engagement and lished ones such as North American’s Fax: +41 22 999 07 91 In the meantime I wish to thank all members for their diplomacy to effect change, we have Association of Zoos and Aquariums …For 80 years support and patience, as in difficult situations we need been characterized as ineffective or (AZA), the European Association of Layout and typesetting: [email protected] a strong and united community. Some activist groups even complicit in the continued take Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), but also WAZA has brought Cover drawing: Kimio Honda (WAZA thanks for his generous donation!) are using tactics intended to divide our community – of dolphins from Taiji. It is important including smaller and newer ones Print: Agentura NP, Staré Město, Czech Republic with the help of media – a damaging game that is not to recognize the distinction between like the Pan-African Association of together zoos at all in the interest of conservation. I would also like to regional zoo associations (which ac- Zoos and Aquariums (PAAZA), offer Edition: 900 copies | © WAZA 2015 thank members who have provided statements of sup‑ credit and monitor zoos) from WAZA, systems of accreditation and quality (and more recently port; this will be very useful for underscoring the value which serves as a global convener control related to the facilities, prac- This edition of WAZA News is also available on: of WAZA and the institutions that form our community. and catalyst for the strategic direc- tices and policies of their members. aquariums) from www.waza.org (members’ area) tion for the zoo/aquarium community. Gerald Dick across the globe. … Printed on FSC paper. Executive Director ISSN: 1662-7733 2 WAZA 2/15 WAZA 2/15 3 Presidents of WAZA (part two): Memories and Reflections Alex Rübel Ed McAlister WAZA President 2001–2003 WAZA President 2003–2005 It is a strange experience to suddenly I joined the IUDZG in 1991 shortly become president of an organization after taking up my position with the like WAZA. At the time, along with Royal Zoological Society of South Bernard Harrison from Singapore, Australia and attended my first I was a junior member of an ‘old conference in Vancouver in 1992. men’s club’. I was the youngest col- What a surprise! I found the organiza- league, and for that reason I felt that tion to be very conservative and the I needed to evolve immediately in papers being delivered by directors order to become a respected presi- were more like what I would have dent. This is because as president you expected from curators. After the are instantly accepted, recognized, conference I went whale-watching and approached on matters of all around Vancouver Island