1990-02-20 15:32 ESB GS
652 868 4679
P.AZ
By fax
MEMO
From Secretary for Economic Services
To
Commissioner, London
(Attn: Mr Kwok)
Ref. (92) in.
ECON 3/2151/88 (90) VIII
Tel. No.
610 2128
Your Ref.....
In ....
Date
20 February 1990
dated
Hong Kong and the Ivory Trade: Leakey's Press Conference
Further to my confidential telex of 14 February,
we intend to draw on the following in response
(a)
(b)
-
it would be interesting to see the evidence of which Leakey speaks:
UK has always maintained that banning of trade in ivory was not the best way to preserve the elephant rather
(1)
(ii)
demand should be curtailed;
anti-poaching measures should be intensifled;
and
(ii) whilst residual demand remains, that should
be met by supply from strictly controlled
(c)
on
(d)
(e)
stocks.
the world community seems to have done little (1); Kenya appears to have failed on (11); and only HK has made any attempt to control stocks;
our reservation is designed only to give greater time to allow orderly disposal of legal and controlled stocks of ivory and to provide opportunities for ivory workers and craftsman to find alternative jobs;
as to smuggling from Kenya, HK has a diligent Customs Service. This has detected no cases of smuggling into HK since June last year. Indeed, smuggling into HK makes no sense because of the large stocks here which we are having difficulty exporting. And, any ivory smuggled in would have to be smuggled out again - HK has an insignificant domestic market and we will not export illegal ivory even under our reservation;
/P. 2