Should Zoos & Aquariums Educate Customers?

There are many tourist organisations that rely on unique environmental locations or endangered species to make money either for profit or to support ongoing work. However whether these organisations have a responsibility to educate their customers about the environmental side of their operation is another question. A lot of people, whether on holiday or in their home town, visit zoos or aquariums to see a range of exotic creatures up close but the majority of people end up leaving without any further knowledge than what they had at the start of the visit. Often there is little information provided by zoos and aquariums about the species they house, the threats the creature is facing or whether it is endangered or vulnerable.

It can always be argued that the general public is only looking for entertainment and they don’t want to know about more these issues. Organisations that do see education as part of their role often focus their efforts towards children and there is little or no effort put into educating adult customers. However increasing the awareness of the general public about biodiversity and the actions required to protect a species helps support the work being done by organisations such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund. However is it only these organisations that have a responsibility for increasing awareness or do tourism organisations have a role to play as well?

This question applies to any vulnerable or endangered species used in tourism. While different organisations categorise endangered species in different ways, there is general agreement about species most under threat. The IUCN manages one of the most well know databases of species which categorises species as being of least concern through near threatened, vulnerable, endangered and extinct (more information about criteria can be found on the IUCN website).

The Humphead Wrasse is an example of why education is required. There are a number of public aquariums that house this large fish which is classified as endangered with a decreasing population. The fish is slow to reproduce which makes any threats to its population even more serious. The main threats facing the Humphead Wrasse is damage to coral reefs and being hunted as a gourmet delicacy in Asia. Educating the general public about the importance of sustainable seafood and sustainable fishing is one aspect of protecting this species but this is often not mentioned by aquariums that have these fish.

So next time you are visiting a zoo or aquarium have a look at the information provided about the different species on show and whether you find yourself more educated at the end of your visit. Providing feedback to the organisation is the best way of encouraging them to increase the information they have available.