From: TŮM JAČA FILLE
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A OAA
The Hon Francis Maude MP
Minister of State
FCO
Whitehall
LONDON
SW1
5th April 1990
Dear Francis,
nato.
3.
MAED
914190...
Xpinas not been
Department for
advice and grant reply from
xv Waldegrave by 1914,
Ivory
•
u: Bima Waldegrave
15) mo made
to
A. L. Well
As I mentioned to you, I met with Professor Leak inform- ally last night, and discussed the latest situation. My impression was that the early panic following the announce- ment of the Hong Kong
Kong reservation did lead
some rise in poaching, and some immediate movements of stock piled ivory from East Africa to Dubai, with the alleged intention of getting it into Hong Kong.
The announcement may have been misinterpreted as a lifting of the import ban.
It now appears that the situation has improved considerably, as the market price of ivory in
in Somalia has gone down from $50 dollars to under $5 dollars (penkitos. Professor Leakey now appears to be of the view that
that the obtaining of a total ban, albeit with the six month Hong Kong reser- vation, has turned out to be a significantly favourable development for the long term. Poaching figures in Tsavo and elsewhere in Kenya remain low after the flurry in January.
interested to
For my own information, I would be very hear whether the Hong Kong Government intend to destroy the 100 tonnes or So of ivory which does not
not have CITES documentation. It appears to me that:-
a) If this ivory has been deemed illegal,
course of action would be to destroy it.
b)
the rational
The publicity value for Britain and Hong Kong of the destruction of even
part of the stock pile would be
considerable.
./2
Page 165Page 166