TNAG-0469-FCO40-534-Legislation-for-protection-of-wild-life-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 40

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 51

JUN 1974

INKK 7),

T JB George Esq

Assistant Political Adviser

Hong Kong

N

LABT

REI

(85

REF.

BRITISH EMBASSY

PEKING

103)

1 June 1974

wert. 1016

M. Daghes, AND

Dayro

}

1 Diundang

几

BD

1016

しゃ

1

IMPORTATION OF CHINESE WILDLIFE INTO HONG KONG

1. Thank you for your letter CR19/3231/73 of 23 May.

2. Since this is my last day in the office I am afraid my reply will have to be rather brief but I hope we shall have an opportunity to discuss the fined points of zoological nomenclature when I am in Hong Kong next week.

3. You ask in para 5 about the basis of the list handed over at the Ambassador's meeting with Wang Tung. This was based on an analysis which I compiled for my own interest of the various species listed in the appendices to the Convention on International Trade in endangered species. The information was based on a variety of sources, particularly as regards

It seemed the conservation status of these animals in China. worth adding to the list a few species which, as we emphasised, might be endangered and might be involved in the trade between China and Hong Kong, particularly since it seemed probable that some of the species mentioned in earlier correspondence were

I not regarded as being particularly rare by the Chinese. attach a copy of this analysis from which you will see that the

The Giant Salamander does not seem to be considered rare. entry for it in the book which is sighted comes under the name "Megalobatrachus davidianus" A sub specific name is not given this is true for most Chinese zoological publications) but in this case it seems fairly clear that the sub species on I know sale in Hong Kong is the one listed in the Convention. from personal correspondence with some friends in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature that in several cases species are listed as rare because there is simply inadequate information. There may well in this case be good grounds for eventually excepting the Giant Salamander from protected status in Hong Kong but obviously it would be best to do this on the basis of some official Chinese view. We have not had any

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