TNAG-0468-FCO40-533-Legislation-for-protection-of-wild-life-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 85

Hong Kong in the condition suggested in your para 6.

We realise the difficulties, but Ministers will be under

pressure to show progress towards control over imports.

Would it be possible for you to inspect animals on

import and to refuse entry to those that had been

maltreated? Or could you insist on immediate humane

killing of maltreated animals? Given the Chinese

preference for fresh killed meat, this would presumably

quickly lead to importers rejecting birds with wired

beaks etc. If you can do this, we might again explain

your policy to the Chinese Government in advance.

7. We also acknowledge the problems of (c) but the

fact that the trade might be driven underground would

not be regarded here as sufficient reason for any absence

of control measures.

8.

UIL legislation directed

towards

embodied in

Your paragraph 5. Conservation of rare live

animals in this country is at the moment cavored by the

Animals (Restriction of Importation) Act 1964. The

animals (mostly the large cat family) are listed in the

Schedule to the Act. The corresponding measure for

birds is the Protection of Birds Act 1954. This Act

prohibits the importation (amongst other things) of the

European (common) quail. The importation of all birds

of prey has been banned by Special Order of the lone

Secretary as provided for by the 1954 Act. Finally,

the importation of products and parts of wild wolle an imals, I much as viiūna, leopard and tiger skeins, and whate products, are controlled by the DT1 under the Open

General Import Licence 1973. This is issued in

accordance with the Import, Export and Customs Powers

(Defence) Act 1939 which gave the President of the

Board of Trade powers to ban all imports. He used this

power in the Imports of Goods Control Order 1954.

/The Act