CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 317
OF 24080OZ JANUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
(65)
046554 MDHIAN 3692
MRG 26:12
RECE
25 JAN1990
INDE
pa
PERSONAL FOR PAUL HKD FROM GOVERNOR
YOUR TELNO 211 : HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE
1 I SHARE YOUR CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY SURE OF OUR FIGURES AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO/NO SCOPE FOR MISUNDERSTANDING. I HAVE THEREFORE ASKED THE EXPERTS TO LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT THE FIGURES THAT WE HAVE NOW PROVIDED.
2. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO OUR STOCK FIGURES IS THAT, IN PREPARATION FOR THE CITES MEETING IN OCTOBER WE SOUGHT TO ESTABLISH THE QUANTITY OF COMMERCIAL IVORY HELD BY HONG KONG TRADERS. IN RESPONSE TO OUR REQUEST, TRADERS DECLARED VOLUNTARILY THAT THEY HELD 670 TONNES OF IVORY IN THE FOLLOWING QUANTITIES:-
TUSKS
120 TONNES
CUT PIECES/SCRAPS 380 TONNES
WORKED IVORY
TOTAL
170 TONNES
670 TONNES
WE HAVE USED THE DECLARED FIGURES SINCE THAT TIME AS BEING THE TOTAL OF COMMERCIAL IVORY HELD IN HONG KONG, PENDING THE COMPILATION OF TOTALS BASED UPON POSSESSION LICENCE RETURNS (SEE PARA 3 BELOW).
3. ON 13 OCTOBER WE INTRODUCED BY LAW A REQUIREMENT FOR POSSESSION LICENCES FOR BOTH COMMERCIAL IVORY AND PERSONAL EFFECTS IN EXCESS OF 5KG. THIS LEGISLATION, CAME INTO EFFECT, AND LICENCES BECAME MANDATORY, ON 12 JANUARY 1990, BY WHICH TIME ALL COMMERCIAL STOCKS OF IVORY HELD IN HONG KONG WERE REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED. THE RESULTS OF THIS EXERCISE BECAME AVAILABLE ONLY ON 22 JANUARY. THEY SHOW THAT ACTUAL COMMERCIAL STOCKS IN HONG KONG ARE:-
TUSKS
107 TONNES
CUT PIECES/SCRAPS 217 TONNES
WORKED IVORY
TOTAL
150 TONNES
474 TONNES