Zoo and Aquarium Association

The Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) Australasia was established in 1991. Its vision is to create "Positive Outcomes for Wildlife and People."

Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)

Founded	1991
Type	National not-for-profit organisation
Focus	Zoo and aquarium accreditation and advocacy
Location	Sydney, Australia Taronga Zoo (Sydney), Australia Zoo
Area served	Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
Method	Accreditation
Website	zooaquarium.org.au

The organisation operates throughout the Australasia region (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific).

Wildlife conservation

Under the ZAA's Species Management Program member institutions co-operate to plan and manage the populations of wildlife they hold in ways that improve their sustainability and their conservation value.

The ZAA's Wildlife Conservation Fund provides critical funding to projects that aim to protect and conserve threatened species in the wild.

The ZAA holds workshops, meetings and conferences for zoo and aquarium specialists.

As an association, ZAA brings its members together to facilitate shared knowledge and continuous improvement in conservation, welfare, biosecurity, science, research, social and community programs.

Accreditation Program

Using the Five Domains Model, ZAA grants accreditation to zoos and aquariums that demonstrate a commitment to positive animal welfare.

Australian state and territory laws require zoos and aquariums to meet minimum standards for animal welfare. In New Zealand, these standards are enforced by the federal government under the Animal Welfare Act 1999. The ZAA Accreditation Program aims to raise the animal welfare standards of accredited zoos and aquariums to surpass existing legal standards.

Capacity building for zoos and aquariums

The ZAA acts as a focal point for unifying the efforts of zoos and aquariums in contributing to wildlife conservation. The ZAA publishes news, guidelines and management plans for zoos and aquariums.

Through ZAA's Accreditation Program, standards for the operation of conservation-focused zoos and aquariums have been developed and a program to assess zoos and aquariums, and assist members to implement these standards has been launched.

Governance and Operations

The ZAA is overseen by a Board elected by its members. ZAA's headquarters are located in Sydney, Australia and are hosted by Taronga Zoo. The ZAA New Zealand Branch office is hosted by Auckland Zoo in New Zealand.

ZAAQ

The Queensland branch of ZAA is known as ZAAQ, it was formed after the merger of the Queensland Wildlife and Parks Association (QWPA) and the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria in 2003. It also operates its own separate Species Management Program (QSMP).

The current ZAAQ Management Committee is:

• President – Al Mucci, Dreamworld
• Vice-President – Michael O'Brien, Cairns Tropical Zoo
• Secretary – Kelsey Mostyn, Australia Zoo
• Treasurer – Matt Hingley, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
• committee member – Adam Northam, David Fleay Wildlife Park

Membership

The ZAA offers a number of different membership options.

Institutional membership

The ZAA offers four types of Institutional Membership

• Full – Requires inspection and board approval.
• Associate
• Corporate
• Subscribing

Individual membership

• Full – Must be employed by a Zoo or Aquarium
• Associate

References

• Laura M. Mumaw (1991) ARAZPA: developing the Australasian zoo industry as a conservation resource International Zoo Yearbook 31 (1), 9–12. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.1991.tb02353.x

• Mellor DJ (2017) Operational Details of the Five Domains Model and Its Key Applications to the Assessment and Management of Animal Welfare Animals.; 7(8):60. doi:10.3390/ani7080060