Government urged to step in as Devon zoos face crisis

A Devon MP has launched a plea to the government to step in and save the county’s zoos.

Torbay’s Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling says Paignton Zoo and Dartmoor Zoo – along with the National Marine Aquarium at Plymouth – are facing a growing crisis.

Post-Brexit restrictions on animal movements, the UK’s faltering economy and the pressure of National Insurance contribution hikes are creating a ‘perfect storm’, he says.

Now he has written to the Environment Secretary asking her to convene an urgent summit to save Britain’s zoos and aquariums.

“They are feeling the pressure,” he said. “With families having less to spend, these attractions, often reliant on discretionary spend, face an uncertain winter.

“Also, being held back by delays in animal transfers, moves that once took weeks are now taking months or even years, threatening vital breeding programmes and undermining some of our region’s most important visitor attractions.”

Mr Darling said it added up to a crisis in the local tourism economy, and the government should step in to fix some of the problems in animal movements around Europe caused by Brexit.

He said: “The current impasse around animal movements post-Brexit is no longer just a matter for conservationists, it is a crisis affecting tourism and local economies.

“Paignton Zoo is not only a leading conservation centre but also a cornerstone of our tourist economy. Families travel from across the South West to visit, supporting jobs in hospitality, retail, and transport.

“But the zoo’s ability to thrive is being held back by post-Brexit red tape on animal transfers and conservation work.”

He said the entire hospitality and tourism sector had been hit by last year’s budget and the current economic situation which had created a ‘lethal cocktail’ of increased National Insurance commitments, a cost of living crisis and damaging business rates.

“This has particularly impacted zoos and aquariums,” he said. “They often rely on increased discretionary spend in their gift shops and food outlets over summer to supplement lower footfall in the off-season.