INDUSTRY AND TRADE
96
territory, a moratorium on imports of raw ivory from all sources until further notice, setting up a special task force to investigate and suppress any illegal trade of ivory and extending the licensing control of export of raw ivory to include worked ivory as well as the possession of ivory for commercial purposes.
In addition, government representatives participated in the CITES African Elephant Working Group meeting in July and the CITES biennial conference in October, to present Hong Kong's case.
The CITES conference decided that the African elephant should be uplisted from Appendix II to Appendix I, which means all international trade in elephants, their parts or ivory, is prohibited. The conference rejected the proposal to allow trade in existing ivory stocks despite arguments put forward by Hong Kong that the continued trade of the territory's legal, finite and strictly-controlled ivory stocks would not pose a threat to the survival of the elephants in Africa and that an indiscriminate trade ban would be unfair to traders who have acquired stocks in strict compliance with the CITES requirements.
The Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance was amended during the year to extend its prohibition against trade in rhinoceros products including medicines claimed to contain its ingredients, to increase the maximum fines by five-fold and to introduce additional provisions to enhance enforcement.
The ordinance is administered by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department and is enforced by officers of the department and the Customs and Excise Department through -checking at entry points, markets, shops and restaurants, as well as inspection of licenced shipments. The Trade Department is authorised to issue certificates for the export of ivoryware carved in Hong Kong. All suspected offences are thoroughly investigated and prosecutions follow if there is evidence of a breach of the ordinance. During 1989, there were 350 seizures and 240 prosecutions under the ordinance.
Metrication
The government's metrication policy is to facilitate progressive adoption of the Inter- national System of Units (SI) in those areas for which it is responsible and to encourage the use of metric (SI) units by the private sector. The Metrication Ordinance, enacted in 1976, provides for the eventual replacement of non-metric units by SI units in all legislation in Hong Kong. Most government departments are now using metric units exclusively.
A Metrication Committee, consisting of representatives of industry, commerce, man- agement and consumer affairs, and government officials appointed by the Governor, is the focal point of liaison on all matters concerning metrication. It advises and encourages the commercial and industrial sectors in the framing of their metrication programmes.
During the year, the committee continued to direct its activities towards the metrication of the retail trade sector. A publicity campaign was mounted to encourage the use of metric units in the sale of frozen meat products by means of television announcements and the distribution of posters and conversion cards to retail outlets.
Trade Marks and Patents
The Trade Marks Registry, which is a sub-division of the Commercial Division of the Registrar General's Department, is a registry of original registration. Trade marks are registered under the Trade Marks Ordinance, the provisions of which are similar to trade marks legislation in the United Kingdom. The procedure in applying for registration is laid down in the Trade Marks Rules, and the prescribed forms may be obtained free from the Trade Marks Registry. Every mark, even if already registered in the United Kingdom or