TNAG-0470-FCO40-535-Legislation-for-protection-of-wild-life-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 45

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number of countries have now signed the convention

and so far 5 have ratified it. You will find a

copy of the Convention text (Cmnd 5459) attached.

2. As you will appreciate, the issue of nature

conservation and the protection of threatened and

endangered species is a matter of considerable

concern in the United Kingdom and we are under very

substantial public and political pressure to

proceed rapidly to ratification of the Convention.

The existing United Kingdom legislation would be

sufficient to enable us to ratify the Convention

but the existing powers are fragmented and partly

because of pressures from conservationists, the

Government intends to introduce a Bill, which will

be tailored to meet the Convention's requirements,

early in this session.

3.

There was a clear understanding at the time

of negotiation of the Convention that to the

maximum extent possible it should be extended to

apply in all territories for which contracting

parties have responsibility. We would therefore

hope that your territory would wish to be included

in the United Kingdom ratification at the time

that it is made. If so we would be grateful if

you could give urgent consideration regarding the

need to put appropriate legislation in hand. We

shall, of course, let you have a draft of the

United Kingdom bill as soon as possible.

4.. In order to assist you and your staff we have

given thought to arrangements which, we fear would

be necessary to set up in your territory and how

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