Dr Jo Judge, CEO of BIAZA writes for WAZA on how they achieved world-leading zoo licensing standards in the UK. 

On 24 May, the UK Government announced a set of new zoo licensing standards. As well as much media interest, the launch came complete with warm words from the British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who lauded the ‘world-leading’ work of British zoos and aquariums. BIAZA has been integral to this work on behalf of the over 130 zoos and aquariums which make up its membership.  

One of the first thing to say is that the UK Government’s new standards for zoo licensing have been a long time coming. At times it has felt like an uphill struggle to get the UK Government to progress these standards.  

The zoo sector should not fear good regulation, in fact, it should embrace it. In the UK, regulation set by government, has underpinned improvements in the zoo sector. That is why BIAZA supported the original 1981 Act of Parliament which introduced zoo licensing, and why we have been pushing the UK Government for the latest edition of these licensing standards.  

As an association we bring together the leading zoos and aquariums to drive forward improvements for the entire zoo sector, in this case through regulation. Through consultation with BIAZA and its members, and the hard work of the Government’s Zoo Experts Committee, the 173 pages of new standards were shaped, squashed and macerated into life. We are delighted that our many comments did not fall on deaf ears and that much of the new standards reflect BIAZA’s positions. The result is that the new zoo standards are ambitious, challenging in places, but should be welcomed by British zoos and aquariums. 

The new standards are comprehensive, detailing expectations on everything from chopping boards to smoking areas. Some of the most meaningful changes include phasing out the permanent tethering of birds of prey, significant new requirements for great apes and elephants, and a new category of hazardous animals for the most dangerous species. 

The standards will provide confidence for business and the public that UK zoos and aquariums regulations are world-class. On top of BIAZA’s own accreditation programme, we believe this means UK zoo animals are some of the highest welfare standards in the world.  

The launch of the new standards also brought the government’s response to the 10 year study into elephant welfare improvements. This has been a challenging piece of work that again required BIAZA to be fully politically engaged on behalf of its members. We are delighted that this evidence-based work demonstrated to Government that elephants in UK zoos now enjoy vastly improved living conditions. We are pleased that Government has recommended that the Elephant Welfare Group continue this work and so we can highlight our members commitment to driving forward improvements in care for these amazing animals.  

As well as working to shape these government regulations, BIAZA is constantly working to empower our members to exceed such standards. As a regional association of WAZA, we share WAZA’s commitment to the highest standards in conservation and animal care. Our accreditation system means that our members will be adhering the majority of the new standards already. BIAZA’s many resources, means we are confident our member zoos and aquariums are leaders in conservation, education and research.  

We are not done yet and will continue to fight for our members big and small. The new standards are not perfect – and there is still work for us to do to ensure the standards are properly implemented and enforced, including pushing for the proper training of Zoo Inspectors, and adequate resourcing of the Local Authorities who regulate zoo licensing.  

As a WAZA regional association we are proud that we play a significant role in driving good regulation and improving lives for the animals in the guardianship of our zoos and aquariums.   

By Dr Jo Judge,
CEO of BIAZA