Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1
Mrs J
Turmer
9 St Helen's Avenue
Benson
Oxon.
Telephone 01-
Your reference
Our reference
HKK 7/1
Date
26 July 1974
175
Dear Mrs Turmans
LAST
HEF.
151
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REF.
88
I have been asked to reply to your letter of 12 July to the Secretary of State about the importation of wildlife from China into Hong Kong.
The point about the law in Hong Kong and the UK is that Hong Kong have banned, as from 1 January 1974, the importation of all the threatened species listed in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. This appendix includes the Giant Chinese Salamander (Andrias davidianus davidianus). In this respect Hong Kong are ahead of the present law of Britain since, as I expect you know, we have not yet ratified the Convention.
Of course, as you say, a law that is not enforced is less than satisfactory. In Hong Kong, as in Britain, there are people who break the law. And law enforcement is particularly difficult where there are large numbers of people who do not agree that the law is sensible. It is then almost as much a matter of public education as law enforcement.
Coincidentally I spoke about the question of the Appendix I species to the Director of Agriculture during my own visit to Hong Kong last week. He is very well aware of the general problem, and is tackling it slowly and sensibly, but thoroughly. He is in touch with local conservationists. I have now written to him about the report that Giant Salamanders are publicly advertised for sale, of which I was not previously aware. When I hear from him, I will certainly write to you again.
Yours sincerely
Acsi
A C Stuart
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.