PJYAIO
FROM:
Mr Paul
DATE:
HKCIJI
31/1
PS/Lord Glenarthur
HONG KONG: IVORY SMUGGLING
CC:
Hong Kong Department
12 June 1989
PS/Mr Eggar
Mr McLaren
Mr Jeffrey, MAED
EAD
DOE, Bristol
Mr Carrington,
Wildlife Division
108
A
11/0
Problem
1.
Two letters from Mr John Patten MP and Mr David Knox MP,
enclosing letters from constituents, expressing concern about the
slaughter of African elephants and alleging that Hong Kong is a
major centre for the illegal trade in ivory.
Recommendation
2. I recommend that Lord Glenarthur should reply on the lines of
the attached drafts. MAED concur.
Background
3. As Lord Glenarthur will be aware, in the past few weeks, there
has been increasing public concern about the poaching of African
elephants and the illegal trade in ivory. This has been fuelled by
numerous television programmes and newspaper campaigns calling for
Government action.
4. The commercial import and export of ivory is controlled under
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES). The African elephant is currently listed
on Appendix II of the Convention, which means that ivory from this