TNAG-1954-FCO40-2783-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 114

L

This

lly understand and share your constituent's concern about the conservation of

the African elephant. For several reasons, we have hitherto taken the view that a

ban on trade would not be the beat way to protect the elephant, If all trade were made illegal, the scarcity value of ivory would cause prices to rise. would provide more incentives to poachers and poaching would be likely to increase, not decrease. Furthermore, the revenue from legal trade is often used by African countries to improve measures taken to conserve their elephants. Without the additional revenue they would not be able to do this as effectively. It has not yet been confirmed that a proposal to introduce a ban on ivory trade will be put to the next CITES Conference; if, however, such a proposal were put forward, we would consider it very carefully in the light of the evidence available and in conjunction

with our European parcners.

Ivory is, of course, already strictly controlled.

In common with over 90 other

countries, including Hong Kong, the UK is party to the Convention o International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which monitors and regulates trade in wild animals and plants. This Convention divides species into 3 different Appendices depending on their conservation status. The African elephant is on Appendix II. This means that African ivory can only be traded if certain strict criteria have

baen met.

Several steps have been taken recently to reinforce and improve these controls. CITES has established an African Elephant Working Group to consider further ways of improving the conservation of this species and to examine the operation of controls. including the quota system to which your constituent refers. Since May 1988 there has been an effective European Community ban on all commercial imports of ivory from 18 African countries where the elephant population is no longer considered capable