Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
Telephone 01- 930 8440
Mrs JL Rowe "Duffryn Tawel" Pant-y-Pwllau
Coity
Glam
Your reference
Our reference HKK7/1
Date
22 July 1974
REF.
103
NEW BEF.
fibe 166
You wrote to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 15 July about the import of wild life from China into Hong Kong.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Government of Hong Kong have been examining with care what is being done and should be done to deal with this difficult and complex problem.
Hong Kong is, of course, predominantly a Chinese society.
The Hong Kong Government do not seek to dictate to their people what they should or should not eat, provided that the animals and birds are humanely treated and killed, and that internationally accepted restrictions on trade in endangered species are observed. The Hong Kong Government are, however, well aware of the problems which arise from the wildlife trade and have recently passed further legislation and taken other measures to deal with them.
As far as endangered species are concerned, the Hong Kong Government have already banned, as from 1 January 1974, the importation of threatened species listed in Appendix 1 to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. As for other potentially endangered species, such as those in Appendix II of the Convention, the decision on whether they were in fact endangered would be, under the Convention, for the Chinese Government. Our Ambassador in Peking has therefore raised the problem with the Chinese auth The Chinese Government already pay great attention to the protect on of their own dildlife resources, and they have now undertaken to look into this question.
ties.
There is the further problem of the condition of the animals and birds when imported, and their treatment within Hong Kong. The Hor Eong Government have enacted Regulations which impose strict control the trade in live animals and birds and which lay down strict standards which will have to be met before any licenceis issued to traders. These requirements include high standards of animal housing, mangement and feeding and the segregation of sick, vicious or incompatibl animals and birds whilst they are in a trader's care. Hawking of animals and birds is also now illegal. I enclose a copy of the Code of Conduct issued under these Regulations.
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/Ail