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8. In March the Zimbabwean Department of National Parks requested an Optica Scout aircraft for use in combatting rhino poaching (this echoed a 1986 request for a helicopter). We have turned this down as 'we cannot provide aircraft to Zimbabwe for any purpose as OECD aid donors we have agreed not to supply aircraft under tied aid,
9. (Rhino Survival Campaign).
10. (Tanzania).
11.
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The role of Hong Kong in the ivory trade has been heavily criticised recently. Hong Kong is also a party to CITES and has strict legislative controls on the import of ivory. They have now announced their support for the upgrading of the African elephant to Appendix I of the CITES.
12.
In her letter of 23 May to Mr Soames MP, Mrs Kent calls for a total ban on ivory trade, with countries whose legal trade is affected being compensated through a specially created UNEP fund. Zimbabwe, for example, undertakes an annual cull based on assessment by the Department of National Parks as to how many elephants (and other species) need to be culled to safeguard the environment. (The intention is to keep a proper balance not, as Mrs Kent suggests, to obtain income from the sale
not of ivory). We are willing to compensate such countries. African Governments joined the call for a ban in ivory trading, and although they may suffer financial losses in the short-term, in the long-term this must be balanced again potential losses in tourist income if the elephant population continues to decline.
13. This year we have agreed a £1.2 million Block grant to the World Wide Fund for Nature for the co-unding of projects to conserve natural resources, particularly forests which are important wildlife habitats.