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060252
MDHOAN 4089
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FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HARARE
TELNO 270
OF 29155OZ JUNE 89
AND TO PRIORITY GABORONE
INFO PRIORITY NAIROBI, DAKAR, YAOUNDE, LILONGWE, KAMPALA
INFO PRIORITY DAR ES SALAAM, LUSAKA, KINSHASA, KHARTOUM, PRETORIA INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP BRUSSELS
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YOUR TELNO 377 (NOT TO ALL): BAN ON IVORY
1142)
1.
YOU WILL BY NOW HAVE SEEN OUR GUIDANCE TELEGRAM (NO40 OF 27 JUNE) ON ENDANGERED SPECIES WHICH CROSSED WITH YOUR TUR.
2.
ADDITIONAL POINTS, WHICH YOU AND GABORONE MAY NEED IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN OUR POLICIES, ARE THAT THE AIM OF THE UK BAN (SHORTLY TO BE ADOPTED BY ALL EC STATES) IS TO ACT AS AN INTERIM MEASURE TO MINIMISE THE THREAT TO THE ELEPHANT WHILE A LONG TERM INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY FOR ITS FUTURE SURVIVAL IS WORKED OUT. THE NEED TO ACT QUICKLY MEANT THAT THERE WAS NO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTATION WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS BEFORE WE MADE OUR PROPOSAL TO EC PARTNERS (ALTHOUGH WE WERE AWARE THAT THE US, KENYA AND TANZANIA FAVOURED GIVING ADDED PROTECTION TO THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT). THE COMMISSION IS NOW PREPARING A NEW REGULATION TO GIVE EFFECT TO A FULL BAN BY ALL EC STATES. THIS SHOULD COME INTO EFFECT IN MID-JULY AND WILL ALLOW IMPORT PERMITS TO BE GRANTED ONLY IN SPECIAL CASES. OUR UNDERSTANDING SO FAR IS THAT THESE SPECIAL CASES WILL INCLUDE PERSONAL HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS, ANTIQUES OF A CERTAIN AGE, HUNTING TROPHIES AND ZOO ANIMALS, ALTHOUGH MINISTERS HAVE NOT FORMALLY APPROVED THESE PROPOSALS. WE ARE IN TOUCH WITH DOE ABOUT THIS, AND WE WILL REPORT FURTHER WHEN WE HAVE A CLEARER VIEW ON WHETHER THERE ARE LIKELY TO BE ANY
OTHER TYPES OF EXCEPTION IN THE EC REGULATION.
3. A LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT WILL BE WORKED OUT AT THE CITES CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER. AT THAT CONFERENCE WE SHALL SUPPORT THE CASE FOR GIVING THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT GREATER PROTECTION UNDER CITES (BY TRANSFERRING IT FROM APPENDIX II TO APPENDIX I). IN PRESSING FOR AN EC BAN, AND FURTHER ACTION UNDER CITES, BOTH WE AND DOE RECOGNISE THAT ZIMBABWE AND BOTSWANA HAVE SPECIAL PROBLEMS, IE THE NEED TO CULL AND ALSO TO AVOID ADVERSE
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