TNAG-1953-FCO40-2782-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 159

RESTRICTED

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 407

RESTRICTED

NKCISI/1

95 £

OF

14162OZ FEBRUARY 89

FOR CLARK, PAS (ES) B

При

FROM MORRIS, HKD

OPY

DIST ?

113036

MDHOAN 4933

IMPORT OF KILLER WHALE FROM JAPAN

1. HAVING SENT COPIES OF YOUR FAXED LETTERS OF 31 JANUARY, 1 FEBRUARY AND 4 FEBRUARY, DIRECT TO MISS J DOE, ENDANGERED SPECIES BRANCH, DOE. I HAVE NOW RECEIVED HER RESPONSE WHICH READS AS FOLLOWS:

QUOTE IN RESPONSE TO THE POINTS RAISED IN CORRESPONDENCE SENT IN YOUR FAX OF 6 FEBRUARY, THE DECISION IN SEPTEMBER 1986 TO ALLOW THE RE-EXPORT OF A KILLER WHALE (NEMO) TO HONG KONG TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT NEMO WAS TO BE USED FOR SCIENTIFIC/ EDUCATION AND EXHIBITION/BREEDING PURPOSES, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT HIS HOUSING CONDITIONS WERE BECOMING UNADEQUATE GIVEN HIS GROWTH SINCE HIS ARRIVAL IN THE UK. EACH CASE IS CONSIDERED ON, ITS MERITS, TAKING ACCOUNT OF ALL RELEVANT MATTERS. HOWEVER, OUR POSITION ON IMPORTS REMAINS AS STATED, THE UK WOULD NOT CURRENTLY ALLOW IMPORT, EVEN IF AN ANIMAL WERE ALREADY IN CAPTIVITY, BECAUSE OF THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DOLPHINARIA REVIEW. WE CANNOT, HOWEVER, SPEAK FOR OTHER EC COUNTRIES.

MAFF HAVE ADVISED THAT QUOTE THE ASSERTION THAT APPROVAL OF THE IWC WAS FORTHCOMING FOR THE LIVE CAPTURE OF THE FOUR KILLER WHALES QUOTE IN ICELAND UNQUOTE CAUSES SOME SURPRISE UNQUOTE. ΤΟ THE BEST OF THE MAFF'S KNOWLEDGE, QUOTE THE CAPTURE OF LIVE KILLER WHALES IN ICELAND DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION AND THEREFORE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO STATE THAT THE IWC APPROVED A COURSE OF ACTION UPON WHICH IT IS NOT REQUIRED TO EXPRESS AN OPINION UNQUOTE.

2. MISS DOE APPEARS TO HAVE ANSWERED ALL THE POINTS RAISED IN YOUR LETTERS, INCLUDING POINTS A AND B CONTAINED IN THE LETTER FROM OCEAN PARK DATED 22 NOVEMBER 1988.

3.

DESPITE YOUR BEING UNABLE TO ACQUIRE THE SUPPORT OF EITHER THE DOE OR MAFF, THE DECISION ON WHETHER TO LICENCE THE IMPORTATION OF THE KILLER WHALE RESTS ENTIRELY WITH HONG KONG. BUT IF A LICENCE IS ISSUED YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED TO FACE ADVERSE PUBLICITY FROM GREENPEACE AND OTHER ENVIRNOMENTALIST GROUPS AND

1

PAGE RESTRICTED