Letter
In Confidence
Confidential
Minute
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SUBJECT:
AFRICAN ELEPHANTS
Thank you for your letter of 16 May enclosing one from
your constituent Mr C.R. Wilson of Newmarket about
African elephants.
The British Government is very concerned about the
plight of the African elephant. On 23 May, Lord
Caithness, the Minister of State for the Environment,
reiterated this concern and expressed the Government's
view that there is now a case for banning all trade in
new ivory at the earliest practical opportunity.
Effective international action can, however, only be
secured through the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), of
which Britain is a strong supporter.
Recommendations
will be discussed at the next CITES conference in
October.
In the meantime, the Government will propose
to other EEC countries that the import of all raw and
worked ivory into the European Community should be