TNAG-1887-FCO40-2679-Overseas-visits-by-Sir-David-Wilson--Governor-of-Hong-Kong---1990 — Page 57

IVORY

Background

1.

At the seventh Conference of the parties to the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) which was held in Lausanne on 9-20 October 1989, it was agreed that all international trade in raw and worked ivory by parties to the Convention should be banned. The African elephant was transferred from Appendix II of the Convention (listing those species for which limited trade is permitted under strict CITES controls) to Appendix

I (listing species for which all trade is prohibited). The UK voted

at the Conference in favour of the ban and also tabled a Resolution

(which was adopted), calling for the ban to be implemented immediately, rather than allowing the normal 90 day grace period. further Resolution put forward by the CITES secretariat, which would have allowed Hong Kong to continue to trade in existing stocks, was defeated. The UK abstained (on Hong Kong's behalf) in the vote on

this Resolution.

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2. Hong Kong has long been the centre of the world's ivory trade and has by far the largest stock pile. Its existing stocks amount

to some 600 tonnes and were estimated to be worth about £83 million

before the ban. The Hong Kong Government estimate that some 3,000 people are directly engaged in the trading and carving of ivory.

3. Hong Kong is a party to CITES through the UK's ratification and

the Hong Kong Government have always complied fully with the provisions of the Convention. In response to mounting international concern about the continued decline of the African elephant, the

Hong Kong Government decided in June this year to ban the import of any further raw ivory. In October, the Executive Council decided to

phase out the ivory trade altogether, whatever the outcome of the

CITES Conference. But Hong Kong's aim at the Conference was to win the right for their traders to be allowed to dispose of their existing stocks, which the Hong Kong Government maintain were all legally acquired in conformity with CITES regulations.

BACKGROUND

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