Clacton Pier’s aquarium to close after 40 years as rules change and energy costs rise

A seafront pier aquarium will close its doors after 40 years, with bosses saying new government red tape and rising bills had made it too hard to continue.

SeaQuarium at Clacton Pier will shut next month, meaning its 900 fish and sea life animals will need to be found new homes.

Despite a positive report from a government vet at its last inspection, bosses said the costs of complying with new rules for zoos and other wildlife attractions would have been too great.

Its licence was up for renewal again next Easter but pier management said they were faced with a difficult decision about whether to move it - which would have involved significant extra investment - or close it permanently.

Bosses also said that overheads and the rising cost of energy played a part in the decision.

Billy Ball, the pier’s director, said: “If it was to remain, we would have also wanted to look to come up with more conservation activities and that was simply not viable.”

Mr Ball said there has been some form of wildlife on the pier since the 1930s - with visitors able to watch whales, dolphins, sea lions and penguins as entertainment over the years.

“We are now in a very different world with emphasis on protecting the environment quite rightly gaining greater priority,” he said.

“All things considered – including overheads and the rising cost of energy - we decided it was time to close that chapter in the pier’s history and move forward.”

The SeaQuarium is currently home to smooth hound sharks, red-bellied piranha, clown fish, terrapins, turtles and many species of fish - and work is already under way to re-home them.

Mr Ball said this would be the last month visitors would have the chance to enjoy the attraction at the historic pier, which itself dates to 1871.

The pier has notified Tendring District Council that it will be surrendering its licence whichinvolved meeting the same rules and regulations as zoos such as Colchester.

Mr Ball said work is currently under way to find a replacement attraction for the aquarium - which will be cleared in November.

“We have exciting concepts in the pipeline, and we will be making an announcement later inthe year,” he added.

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