PJ MAPB
slaughter of the elephants for ivory. Many reports have singled out
Hong Kong as a centre for the illegal trade in ivory and various
Hong Kong people, most notably the Poon brothers who operate in
Dubai, as being among the main players in the international trade.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature recently announced that it had received some 20,000 letters and phone calls in a week in support of
their call for a global ban on the trade in new ivory.
5. In response to calls for effective and immediate government
action and in the light of evidence that existing controls were
inadequate, HMG announced on 23 May that, although there may be
drawbacks to introducing a global ban, these were nevertheless
outweighed by the benefits, and there was now a clear case for
banning all trade in new elephant tusks at the earliest practical
opportunity. As an interim measure, Lord Caithness will call for
concerted European support for a total ban at the next Council
meeting of EC Environment ministers on 8 June and HMG will give very
careful consideration to proposals for tighter controls which are to
be put before the October CITES meeting. HMG will call for any new restrictions to be implemented immediately rather than waiting for
the usual 90 day before putting them into effect.
Hong Kong's role in the ivory trade
6.
Since HMG' S announcement of their change in policy, media and
public attention has switched to Hong Kong's role in the ivory
trade. Hong Kong has for a number of years been singled out as a
"worst offender" in the market for illegal ivory, although there is
no clear-cut evidence to support these allegations. Hong Kong is, however, the largest international centre for the import and export of ivory from legally approved sources and the industry is worth some £50 million per year. There are estimated to be 500 ivory
traders in Hong Kong, employing some 2,000 people, and about 250
ivory carving "factories", employing about 1,200 people. The total
value of ivory stock currently in Hong Kong (which would have to be
impounded if a total ban on trade is introduced) is estimated at £90
million.
BACKGROUND