DRAFT LETTER FROM THE PRIME MINISTER
TO
Sir Christopher Lever BT
Vice-President
International Trust for Nature Conservation
c/o Assistant Director
Royal Geographical Society
1 Kensington Gore
LONDON
SW7 2AR
Thank you for your further letter of 16 March about the Hong Kong ivory stocks.
For example some
when CITES documentation
Of the registered stockpile, which now stands at 472 tonnes, it is true that 116 tonnes does not have CITES documentation. This does not necessarily mean that the stocks were imported illegally. may have been imported before 1976 was not required. And CITES documents may have become detached from their ivory for a number of reasons, not least because the carvers are not a well educated profession and might not, in the past, have recognised the importance of the paper. The Hong Kong authorities have inspected all ivory stocks held in Hong Kong and have found no evidence of illegal importation. are presented with any evidence that some stocks are illegal, they will investigate it vigorously.
If they
And in any event, no export licences will be granted
for ivory without proper CITES documentation.
the
Trade in
116 tonnes without CITES documents will therefore
be impossible.