XN000022-1989-09-29 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1989

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"WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE BODY OF LEGISLATION WHICH IS STRICTLY ENFORCED, NO IVORY, EITHER IN WORKED OR RAW FORMS. MAY BE IMPORTED WITHOUT A LICENCE 15 LP IN ADVANCE BY THE HIONG KONG AUTHORITY AND ONLY IVORY PROP ALTES APPROVED SOURCE IS SO LICENSED.

IVORY, HONG KONG HAS THE IMPORT OF ILLEGAL SPECIAL TASK FORCE TO

"APART FROM A BAN ON THỊ IMPORT OF RAW TAKEN A SERIES OF STRINGENT MEASURES TO STOP IVORY AND THESE INCLUDE THE SETTING UP OF A INVESTIGATE AND SUPPRESS ILLEGAL IVORY TRADE," HE SAID.

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IN ADDITION, HONG KONG HAD MOUNTED AN EXERCISE TO IDENTIFY REGISTER ALL IVORY STOCKS WHICH HAD BEEN LEGALLY! IMPORTED INTO THE TERRITORY AND SUPPORTED BY CITES CERTIFICATION. DETAILS ABOUT ALL LEGAL IVORY STOCKS WERE TO BE STORED IN A COMPUTER DATA BASE.

"FURTHERMORE, ALL COMPANIES DEALING IN IVORY WILL BE REQUIRED TO TAKE OUT POSSESSION LICENCES. THE PURPOSE IS ΤΟ ENSURE THAT NO ILLEGAL IVORY WOULD BE ABLE TO ENTER HONG KONG, DR LEE SAID.

TO FURTHER DETER WOULD-BE OFFENDERS, THE GOVERNMENT HAD SINCE AUGUST THIS YEAR INCREASED MAXIMUM PENALTIES FIVE-FOLD, IN ADDITION TO THE MANDATORY FORFEITURE OF ANY CONSIGNMENT FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL.

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"AS FAR AS I AM AWARE. NO OTHER PARTY IN THE WORLD HAS INSTITUTED SUCH STRINGENT CONTROL OVER THE IVORY TRADE,' DR LEE ADDED.

THE DIRECTOR ALSO SPOKE ABOUT #18 RECENT VISITS TO NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE AND JAPAN TO INCREASE OVERSEAS UNDERSTANDING OF HONG KONG'S SITUATION.

DURING HIS VISITS, DR LEE MET OFFICIALS OF THE CITES AUTHORITIES OF THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, UNITED KINGDOM AND JAPAN AS WELL AS OFFICIALS OF THE ITES SPORETARIAT, THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION AND THE WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE.

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"MY VISITS ENABLED ME TO PROVIDE THEM WITH CORRECT AND UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT HONG KONG'S STRICT CONTROL OVER THE IVORY TRADE AND THE STEPS TAKEN TO FURTHER STRFNOTHEN EXISTING MEASURES,

"MY EXPLANATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM HELPED NOT ONLY IN CLEARING THEIR MISUNDERSTANDING OVER HONG KONG BUT ALSO IN IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THE CONTROL OF IVORY TRADE AND THE TRADE IN OTHER ENDANGERED SPECIES, HE SAID,

DR LEE SAID THAT HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THESE OFFICIALS ALSO TOUCHED UPON THE NEED TO CONSIDER THE ECONOMIC INCENTIVE OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLE AND THE NEED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR ΤΟ PLOUGH BACK REVENUES FROM THE IVORY TRADE TO HELP AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO PROPERLY MANAGE THE ELEPHANT HERDS.

"IT IS HOPED THAT THE FACTUAL INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE AUTHORITIES IN THE COUNTRIES I VISITED WOULD HELP THEM IN MAKING A RATIONAL DECISION AND IN DEVISING A PRACTICAL SOLUTION WHICH WOULD REALLY SAVE THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT WITHOUT CAUSING ANY L'NNECESSARY HARDSHIP TO THE PEOPLE CONCERNED, HE ADDED.

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