TNAG-1953-FCO40-2782-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 77

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BACKGROUND

1.

All applications in Hong Kong for the import or export of raw and worked ivory are carefully scrutinised to ensure that only ivory from CITES approved sources can be traded. On arrival in Hong Kong all shipments are rigorously checked by staff of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department to ensure that the necessary CITES documentation is in order. In cases of doubt, the consignment is detained pending verification with the CITES Secretariat.

2. The figures for the total import of raw ivory in Hong Kong in the last five years have been:- (in tonnes)

1984: 411

1985: 230

1986: 216

1987: 218

1988: 264

3. We have spoken to the Department of the Environment about the figure for CITES approved shipments of ivory to Hong Kong. They consider this to be reasonable: it is proportiona Lly less than the totals in previous years and (they think) much lower than comparable figures for other countries, such as Japan.

Hong Kong Department

24 May 1989