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YOUR TELNO 282: HOUSE OF LORDS PQ : IVORY
YOU MIGHT LIKE TO USE THE FOLLOWING AS A BASIS FOR YOUR REPLIES :
(A) THE IVORY TRADE IN HONG KONG IS CARRIED OUT AT THREE LEVELS. FIRST, RETAILERS WHO SIMPLY SELL FINISHED IVORY PRODUCTS. SECOND, TRADERS WHO IMPORT (MAINLY) RAW IVORY AND:
EITHER ARRANGE FOR ITS CARVING AND EXPORT THE FINISHED PRODUCT OR : SELL THE IVORY LOCALLY IN RAW OR WORKED FORM, OR:
EXPORT RAW IVORY TO A THIRD PARTY.
THIRD, THE IVORY CARVERS WHO MAY WORK FOR TRADERS OR BE SELF EMPLOYED. THERE IS A WIDE OVERLAP BETWEEN THESE LEVELS.
ALL COMMERCIAL HOLDINGS OF IVORY ARE REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED. SOME 880 COMPANIES ARE REGISTERED WITH THE HKMA, (DAF) OF WHICH 87 COMPANIES HOLD OVER 70 PERCENT OF TOTAL COMMERCIAL STOCKS.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ANALYSE OWNERSHIP OF THESE
COMPANIES BY NAME.
(B) THE TWO ORGANISATIONS WHICH MADE THE MAIN REPRESENTATIONS ARE :
I. THE HONG KONG AND KOWLOON IVORY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
(REPRESENTING THE TRADERS): AND
II. THE HONG KONG IVORY MANUFACTURING WORKERS GENERAL UNION (REPRESENTING THE WORKERS)
(C) WE HAVE NO RECORDS OF OTHER COUNTRIES STOCKS OR THE SIZE OF SUCH STOCKS. BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT MOST RANGE COUNTRIES, PROCESSING COUNTRIES (E.G. CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SINGAPORE, MACAU INDIA) AND CONSUMING COUNTRIES (E.G. EC, USA, JAPAN) DO HAVE STOCKS. INDEED, JAPAN IS RE UTED TO HAVE STOCKS QUOTE SUFFICIENT FOR TWO YEARS UNQUOTE. AS FAR AS WE KNOW, ONLY HK HAS A REQUIREMENT
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FOR POSSESSION LICENCES AND WE ARE THUS IN A POSITION TO STATE WITH SOME RELIABILITY THE SIZE OF OUR DOMESTIC STOCKS.
(D) TRADERS CLAIM PRICES HAVE DROPPED BY AT LEAST 50 PERCENT SINCE THE CITES DECISION WAS ANNOUNCED. THERE MAY BE SOME DEGREE OF EXAGGERATION BUT WE CANNOT VERIFY THIS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
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IND
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 282
OF 01160OZ FEBRUARY 90
89
075713
MDHOAN 2260
·RY
on taken
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HOUSE OF LORDS ORAL PQ: IVORY
1. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN NOTICE OF AN ORAL PQ IN HOUSE OF LORDS AS FOLLOWS QUOTE TO ASK THE SECRETARY OF STATE WHETHER THE DECISION TO ALLOW HONG KONG'S STOCKS OF IVORY TO BE TRADED DOES NOT CONTRADICT THEIR OWN SUPPORT FOR THE BANNING OF THE IVORY TRADE WORLDWIDE, AND HOW THEY INTEND TO ENSURE THAT IT WILL NOT GIVE SCOPE FOR A FURTHER ILLICIT SLAUGHTER OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 2. THE QUESTION WILL BE TAKEN ON 12 FEBRUARY BUT OUR BRIEFING MUST BE READY BEFORE 7 FEBRUARY. WE ARE FAXING TO CLARKE (ESB) A LIST OF QUESTIONS TO WHICH WE WILL NEED TO HAVE ANSWERS FOR
THIS OCCASION.
MOST WE CAN SUPPLY OURSELVES BUT WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION DESKBY 050900Z, ON THE FOLLOWING:
(A) WHAT IS THE OWNERSHIP OF THE IVORY BUSINESS IN HONG KONG
QUERY.
(B) WHO/WHICH ORGANISATIONS MADE THE MAIN REPRESENTATIONS TO
HMG/HKG FOR THE RESERVATION QUERY.
(C) WHICH OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE STOCKS OF IVORY AND HOW MUCH QUERY. DO YOU HAVE ANY FIGURES ON THIS QUERY.
(D) THE EFFECT OF THE UPLIFTING TO CATEGORY I ON THE PRICE OF
IVORY QUERY.
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