A deeply disappointed aquarium stands to kill animals after the summer holidays because they are not allowed to open to guests. The Copenhagen Zoo also collects.
Everything was ready for a reopening of the Blue Planet, but zoos and aquariums are not in phase 2 of the reopening of the country.
We were speechless. It was a big surprise, especially because the State Serum Institute has just named zoos and aquariums for low-risk groups, so we were sure we were going to open, says director Jon Diderichsen.
We are facing a disaster, because 60 percent of our revenue comes from tourists in just these months. We live by our guests, so that when we are not allowed to open until June and we do not get visits from the many tourists, the money goes up in September, he says.
Therefore, money is raised to cover the aquarium’s costs for animal feed and medicine. For example, the four sea otters eat more than half a ton of feed each month.
In extreme consequence, we will go bankrupt in September, because the money will go up. We will be missing between 25 and 30 million kroner, says Jon Diderichsen.
The result may be that some animals must be killed because the situation is the same throughout the world, so no one will receive surplus animals. Furthermore, for example, sharks are so large that they cannot be transported.
The Blue Planet receives a state subsidy of 10 percent, but the entire amount is spent on paying the high electricity bill that many aquariums have due to light and temperature. Money for the other expenses must be collected on entrance income.
The Blue Planet is covered by several auxiliary packages, including salary compensation, but the aquarium has several large expenses , such as full pay for the approximately 20 employees who care for the animals as well as for feed and medicine.
We applied for salary compensation on April 3, but have not heard anything yet. Although we may be getting started June 8, we are completely dependent on a tourist assistance package to come because we are missing entrance fees, says the director.
We hear about aid packages and emergency packages, but no one can tell me where to apply and what the criteria are, he says.
The Zoo in Copenhagen has also started a collection. Here, a reopening was recently announced, but it was canceled when the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Industry advised against it.
Only Knuthenborg Safari Park and Givskud Zoo , where guests drive themselves by car, are in phase 2 of the reopening, and a postponement of the opening to June 8 creates great concern for the economy of the Zoo in Copenhagen.
It brings us into an uncertain and financially difficult situation – it should be no secret that we are very worried about the future, says the Facebook post.
Source: dr.dk
