Horizon Scanning for Zoos and Aquariums

Convenors: John Fa, Markus Gusset

Aim: The purpose of this working group is to conduct the first-ever horizon scan for zoos and aquariums. The aim is to identify emerging issues in biodiversity conservation of particular relevance to the world zoo and aquarium community.

Process: Working group participants will identify issues with the potential to impact upon biodiversity conservation by 2020 that might increase in importance for zoos and aquariums and thereby warrant further consideration. To this end, we will bring together experts to suggest future possible issues based on their own expertise in an interactive way. The set of suggestions will be reduced by an iterative process of discussion and voting to produce a final list of priority issues for zoos and aquariums. This final list will be actively disseminated to the world zoo and aquarium community.

Background: Policy makers and practitioners in most fields, including the zoo and aquarium industry, often make decisions based on insufficient evidence. One reason for this is that issues appear unexpectedly, when with hindsight, many of them were foreseeable. A solution to the problem of being insufficiently prepared is routine horizon scanning, described as the systematic search for potential threats and opportunities that are currently poorly recognised. However, no horizon scan has ever been conducted for zoos and aquariums. The novel output of this working group will consist of a list of emerging issues in biodiversity conservation of particular relevance to the world zoo and aquarium community. This list will afford zoos and aquariums the opportunity to prepare in time for forthcoming potential threats and opportunities in biodiversity conservation.

Preparation: Working group participants may become familiar with horizon scanning by reading the two publications referenced below (see briefing material). Furthermore, participants are asked to submit future possible issues worth considering for zoos and aquariums to Markus Gusset (markus.gusset@waza.org) in advance of the working group session.

Briefing Materials:

  • Sutherland et. al (2011) Methods for collaboratively identifying research priorities and emerging issues in science and policy. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 2: 238–247.

 

Back to 2013 Briefing Book.