THE SeaQuarium in Rhyl has issued a stark warning about the coastal defence work being carried out on behalf of Denbighshire County Council.

The attraction has said the coastal works are threatening the safety of its animals and the future of the visitor attraction.

It welcomes more than 80,000 visitors each year, and employs in excess of 20 people.

Staff say that the noise and disturbances from the Central Rhyl Coastal Defences Scheme, which received planning approval in June 2022, could have a harmful impact on hearing.

They also fear it could induce a chronic stress response from seals with behavioural and physical welfare issues, and impact the other animals housed in the aquarium from the vibrations of the work.

SeaQuarium believes it could close without adequate support, while director and co-owner, Colette Macdonald, believes the noise and vibrations from the works will have a detrimental impact on the seals and the marine animals.

She said: “All our animals, and especially the seals, are at serious risk of harm. We have world-class facilities for our seals and a state-of-the-art 330,000 litre pool in the Seal Cove.

“As proud custodians, we are incredibly concerned about their wellbeing.

“We support the sea defence, but we cannot accept the coastal defence works that have commenced without sourcing a resolution for animal welfare.

“We are pleading with local people and all our past and present customers to support SeaQuarium, with our quest to get Denbighshire County Council and their advisors to make our animals welfare a priority and to stop ignoring our request to help in rehoming the seals.

“The coastal defence works are putting everything at risk. The noise and vibrations from the drilling works are already having a harmful effect.

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“As everyone will be aware, the construction workers will have protective equipment to protect their hearing from noise and vibrations, but our animals won’t.

“The animals may suffer permanent physical damage to hearing and eyesight and so much more. Ethically, neither we nor the public can allow that to happen.

“We need an urgent plan to help rehouse our seals and are calling on Denbighshire County Council and their advisor to help us.”

In response, Denbighshire County Council said that it was a statutory requirement for a “party wall award” to be in place.

This, the council, was agreed by two independent surveyors working on behalf of both the local authority and SeaQuarium.

Balfour Beatty, which is carrying out the works, was said to be working in accordance with the requirements of the party wall agreement.

A council spokesperson said: “The party wall award allows for an independent expert to monitor the welfare of the seals.

“This monitoring is ongoing, and the independent expert has access to CCTV cameras to observe the seals whilst work continues.

“There are also other instruments in place monitoring noise and vibration levels.  

“If the independent expert determines that the seals are in distress as a result of the work, they can ask for noise levels to be reduced or for the work to be halted.

“To date, no such request has been made. Animal welfare is a matter of great importance to the council, which is why the steps to monitor the noise and vibration levels have been taken.”

In 2013, flooding in Rhyl led to 400 people being evacuated from their homes.

The council added that the ongoing works are “essential” to protect 548 residential and 44 non-residential properties predicted to be at risk from further flooding.

A council spokesperson added: The current sea defences in Rhyl must be upgraded as they are deteriorating, and we also need to improve the level of protection from coastal flooding due to the impact of climate change.

“This work is essential to protect homes, businesses and the tourist economy from flooding events and coastal erosion well into the future.”

The closure of the beachfront kiosks adjacent to SeaQuarium was said to be “unavoidable”, but carried out with the agreement of the tenants, the council added.