Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce lunch, Dr Lesley Dickie said the zoo was struggling as tourism figures dropped but there were things the States could do to make it easier for the charity to grow. Dr Dickie, who started her role as chief executive in October, also said terrorist attacks in places such as France and Germany might make more people look at Jersey as a safe holiday destination.
Addressing an audience at The Royal Yacht hotel, she said: ‘The States must be more flexible with giving licences to people coming to work from outside the Island. We have a lot of young keepers coming to Jersey to work for us who don’t have family support here. They are on an £18,000-a-year salary, which restricts what they can rent and they cannot buy. That has to change for us to employ more young keepers outside of Jersey.
‘I have asked the States to look at this issue, as we need to get people from other zoos to Durrell to enhance our skills.’
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