RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 22083OZ FCO
TELNO 288
OF 220815Z JANUARY 90
RESTRICTED
37
037140
MDHIAN 3317
HKCISI/I
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
29 JAN 1990 TOP COPY
OFFICER
REGIS RY
DIST 7.
244381
YOUR TELNO 198 : HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE : PQS
1. YOU MAY CARE TO BASE YOUR REPLIES ON THE FOLLOWING
(A) VIRTUALLY ALL IVORY HELD IN HONG KONG IS IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP. IT IS FOR THOSE PRIVATE OWNERS, BY THEMSELVES, TO DETERMINE WHAT TO DO WITH RESIDUAL STOCKS ONCE THE SIX MONTHS RESERVATION EXPIRES:
(B) IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS, THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN SEIZED BY THE AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG:-
ELEPHANT IVORY
RHINO HORN
NO. OF SEIZURES
27
2
QUANTITY
2.16 TONNES 21.2 KG
(C) SINCE 1ST JUNE 1989, HONG KONG HAS EXPORTED 4.8 TONNES OF WORKED IVORY AND 50 TONNES OF RAW IVORY. PRINCIPAL DESTINATIONS INCLUDE CHINA, MACAU, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, JAPAN, INDIA, THAILAND, SOUTH KOREA, WEST GERMANY AND MEXICO.
(D) YES.
(E) ALL TRADERS ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE OUT POSSESSION LICENCES.
DETAILS OF STOCKS ARE ENTERED INTO THE COMPUTER DATA BASE OF THE CITES MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY. THE AUTHORITY HAS TO BE NOTIFIED OF
TRANSACTIONS OF STOCKS BETWEEN TRADERS AND THEIR STOCK BALANCE
VARIED ACCORDINGLY. AN EXPORT LICENCE IS REQUIRED FOR ANY TRADER TO EXPORT IVORY, EITHER IN RAW OR WORKED FORM. NO EXPORT LICENCE WILL BE GRANTED TO THE TRADER UNLESS THE IVORY IN QUESTION IS FROM THE
LEGAL REGISTERED STOCK FROM CITES APPROVED SOURCES HELD BY THE
TRADER AND THE DESTINATION OF THE EXPORT IS NOT A CITES PARTY WHICH
EXERCISES A BAN ON IVORY IMPORTS.
(F) ALL THE IVORY STOCKS HAVE BEEN PHYSICALLY INSPECTED AND WE HAVE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF ILLEGAL IVORY STOCKS. NOT ALL STOCKS, HOWEVER, HAVE PREVIOUS CITES PAPERS. NONE OF THESE STOCKS MAY BE EXPORTED.
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