RESTRICTED
1
06
MDHIAN 6639
EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS OR OTHER CITES AUTHORITIES, AND INCINERATION OF PERISHABLE ITEMS.
(1730) YES.
(1731) YES.
(1732) THE BREAKDOWN ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL EXPORT DESTINATIONS
HAVE BEEN PROVIDED VIDE HONG KONG'S TELNO 716 OF 26 FEBRUARY 1990.
YOUR ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO OUR TELNO 886 OF 12 MARCH 1990 STATING THAT ACCURATE STATISTICS CAN ONLY BECOME AVAILABLE THROUGH CHECKING THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT'S MONTHLY RETURNS IN DUE COURSE.
(1733) THE ESTIMATED 670 TONNES OF IVORY STOCKS IN HONG KONG WERE ARRIVED AT BY VOLUNTARY DECLARATIONS OF SOME 630 TRADERS. SOME 880 APPLICATIONS FOR POSSESSION OF COMMERCIAL IVORY HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
MOST OF THE NEW APPLICANTS FOR POSSESSION LICENCES ARE IVORY CARVERS AND SMALL RETAIL SHOPS HOLDING A FEW KG TO A FEW DOZEN KG IVORY EACH.
(1734) THE NATURE OF INSPECTIONS IS TO CHECK PHYSICALLY THE
QUANTITY OF IVORY HELD BY APPLICANTS AGAINST THEIR SUBMISSIONS.
(1735) UNTIL THE IMPOSITION OF THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT FOR A LICENCE TO POSSESS IVORY IN HONG KONG, POSSESSION OF IVORY WITHOUT A LICENCE IN HONG KONG, LIKE ANY OTHER CITES PARTIES, WAS NOT AN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY. HONG KONG IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD WHICH IMPOSES THIS LICENSING CONTROL AND THIS IS A MEASURE BEYOND CITES
REQUIREMENTS.
(1736) AS EXPLAINED ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, THE IVORY STOCKS WITHOUT CITES DOCUMENTATION COULD BE PRECONVENTION STOCKS ACQUIRED BEFORE
CITES CAME INTO EFFECT OR COULD COME FROM IVORY ENTERED HONG KONG WITH PROPER CITES DOCUMENTATION BUT THE DOCUMENTS COULD NOT BE RETRIEVED AFTER A SERIES OF TRANSACTIONS.
(1738) THE MECHANICS OF THE EXERCISE ARE TO MAKE IT A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT FOR A POSSESSION LICENCE TO BE HELD BY ANY PERSON HOLDING A QUANTITY OF COMMERCIAL IVORY. TUSKS AND LARGE CUT PIECES OF RAW IVORY ARE INDIVIDUALLY MARKED TO ASSIST IDENTIFICATION. AFTER REGISTRATION, LICENSED TRADERS OR ANY PERSON HOLDING COMMERCIAL QUANTITIES OF IVORY WITHOUT A LICENCE OR IN EXCESS OF LICENSED QUANTITY CAN BE INVESTIGATED AND PROSECUTED AS NECESSARY.