We were invited to be the Keynote talk at the opening of the PAAZA conference held at Summerstand in PE. The theme for the conference was conservation through collaboration and the talk fitted well with this theme. The hosts for this year’s conference were East London Aquarium and Bay world (port Elizabeth Museum). The Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZA) was formed in 1989 as an organization aimed at representing the interests of bona fide zoos and aquaria on the African continent and currently represents 70 institutes in 12 African countries. PAAZA insists on modern zoo best practice in the provision of supportive environments for the animals, personnel and public; active involvement in the maintenance of biodiversity; management for the wider benefit of the community and the provision of education opportunities for learning about animals and their environments. PAAZA sees one of the primary functions of zoos and aquariums as healing the relationship between man, animal and their mutual environment. For many people on the African continent a zoo or an aquarium is the first time they will see wildlife up close. I wanted to be a marine biologist after visiting an Aquarium on my 8th birthday. Animal welfare and ethics were a large part of this years conference.
Attendance: 45