Blog: The WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal - setting A Global Benchmark for Animal Welfare

Paula Cerdán, Animal Welfare & Conservation Coordinator at WAZA, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, tells BIAZA about WAZA’s 2023 Animal Welfare Goal and why it’s important.

"Zoos and aquariums have a responsibility to achieve high standards of animal welfare in support of their goals as modern conservation organisations."

Published in 2015, the groundbreaking publication "Caring for Wildlife: The World Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare Strategy" by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) recognised and emphasised the utmost importance of prioritising animal welfare through welfare-based accreditation.

WAZA-member national and regional associations came together to discuss the implementation of this strategy in 2016 in Singapore. Over the course of the meeting, the key item of discussion was the creation of a WAZA Animal Welfare goal, which would serve as a driving force to establish welfare-based accreditation systems within the regions represented in WAZA, such as in Britain and Ireland through the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA). However, it wasn't until 2019, during a subsequent meeting in Barcelona, that the details of this ambitious goal truly came to life.

Animal welfare lies at the heart of all progressive zoos and aquariums. With this commitment in mind, and after extensive consultations with its members and Council, WAZA established the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal, which states that:

By 31 December 2023:  

1. WAZA member National and Regional Associations must have an animal welfare evaluation process in place and such a process must include specific elements approved by WAZA. 
2. All WAZA institutional members must be compliant with this process.

The WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal establishes a global benchmark for regional and national animal welfare evaluation processes, which will be used to evaluate their zoo and aquarium members worldwide against animal welfare standards.

By fostering a culture of peer-review and collaboration, the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal not only provides a unique opportunity for WAZA Member Associations to collaborate and share expertise in their animal welfare evaluation processes, but also propels our collective member zoos and aquariums to soar to new heights of global recognition as key and trusted leading conservation organisations. It demonstrates, unequivocally, that animal welfare is a paramount priority for our members, aligning seamlessly with the principles of progressive conservation organisations.

The WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal has already sent ripples of positive change throughout our community, extending its influence beyond the confines of zoos and aquariums, and having some initial impact on the travel industry and national and regional governmental bodies to support the development of new legislation.

WAZA member associations such as BIAZA also gain significant benefit from this Goal, as it demonstrates their leadership and commitment in meeting the requirements for regional and national animal welfare evaluation processes laid out by the global zoo and aquarium community through WAZA. This sets an unmatched example for progressive conservation organisations worldwide.

United in its goal to ensure that animal welfare remains as a priority for leading zoos and aquariums, the WAZA community has come together to develop this truly global Goal which has the potential to have a lasting impact for animals in progressive zoos and aquariums. As a part of the ambitious strategy that WAZA has set for itself in 2023, the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal will play a key role in not only re envisioning the difference the WAZA community can make, but also highlights the importance of collaboration across regions, and the power that this collaboration can have in bringing about lasting change.
 

By Paula Cerdán, Animal Welfare and Conservation Coordinator,

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not a reflection of BIAZA's positions.