Aquariums and Zoos: Coronavirus

(asked on 19th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of demand for additional support for the zoo and aquarium sector during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 27th April 2021

From 12 April zoos have been able to welcome back visitors, reopening their outdoor areas as part of step two in the roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions. Our assessment was that zoos would need further support, which is why we extended the Zoo Animals Fund. We have extended the application deadline from 26 February 2021 to 28 May 2021 to give zoos more time to apply and have extended the support provided from the end of March 2021 to the end of June 2021. The fund has been a lifeline for many zoos and small, medium and large zoos have been able to secure funding to help them through this difficult time. Fund recipients have reached out to express how funding has supported their animals and what a difference it has made to them to receive this help.

Under both zoo support schemes we have so far awarded over £10 million to 56 zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums to care for their animals and we are currently processing further applications. This money has provided for animal care costs and essential maintenance costs for those zoos experiencing severe financial difficulties due to covid-19. Under the Zoo Animals Fund only two applications have been rejected on the basis that the businesses in question were ineligible as they did not have the necessary licence or exemption. We encourage zoos in need to apply to the Fund and we will continue to work closely with the sector on reopening guidance to ensure that zoos and aquariums are able to welcome visitors safely.

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