Struggling Seal Center receives no extra funding from the municipality

The Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen will not receive additional funding from the municipality, despite ongoing financial struggles. The center's future is uncertain after the municipal council of Het Hogeland voted against extra support. The center, which became part of the new Wadden Sea World Heritage Center (WEC), has accumulated significant debt due to lower visitor numbers and higher construction costs. Although the municipality supports the WEC in other ways, such as guaranteeing a loan, it insists that the center must become financially self-sufficient. A petition with over 100,000 signatures was presented to the mayor, and fundraising efforts have raised over 1.25 million euros. However, a decision on filing for bankruptcy is imminent.