RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 24093OZ FCO
HKCISI
TELNO 1687
OF 24070OZ MAY 89
109:
TOP COPY
Q
YOUR TELNOS 1106 AND 1109: WRITTEN PQ: IVORY TRADE
441
(48
122530
MDHIAN 6118
1. YOUR TELNO 1106. DURING THE PERIOD 1 JAN 1989 TO 21 MAY 1989
HKG MADE 15 SEIZURES TOTALLING 0.5 TONNES (TOTAL) OF ILLEGAL IVORY.
2. IN THE SAME PERIOD, 249 SHIPMENTS TOTALLING 55.5. TONNES OF IVORY HAVE BEEN IMPORTED FROM CITES APPROVED SOURCES.
3. NOW TO YOUR TELNO 1109. THE THIRD SENTENCE OF YOUR DRAFT REPLY TENDS TO SUGGEST THAT THE HKG ALONE TAKES THE VIEW EXPRESSED THEREIN. THE POSITION, OF COURSE, IS THAT WE HAVE COME TO THIS VIEW HAVING TAKEN ADVICE FROM CITES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL GROUPS, E.G. WWF. THE POINT NOW IS THAT IN PREPARATION FOR THE CITES CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER AND THE CITES AFRICAN ELEPHANT WORKING GROUP IN JULY, WE MUST URGENTLY ASSESS THE IMPLICATIONS FOR HK OF A TOTAL BAN ON TRADE IN NEW IVORY. IT WILL, NATURALLY, BE DIFFICULT FOR HK NOT TO FOLLOW CITES, BUT WE ARE NOT YET IN A POSITION TO TAKE A FIRM VIEW ON THIS.
4. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE SIMPLY SUGGEST THE DELETION OF THE THIRD SENTENCE.
5. WE ARE RESEARCHING FURTHER ON PARAGRAPHS 3 AND 4 OF YOUR TELNO 1109 AND WILL REVERT TOMORROW.
WILSON
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