TNAG-1955-FCO40-2784-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 118

DRAFT LETTER TO MR PAT AU, MANHING IVORY FACTORY CHK) LTD, KONG

HONG

about

Thank you for your letter of 20 June, to the Prime Minister

the recently introduced ban on the import of ivory into the

European Community, I understand that Lord Caithness has also

received a copy of your letter, have been asked to reply,

The

as

Government does appreciate the difficult position in which

you and other legal traders in ivory now find yourselves

result of the growing pressure to ban all trade in

products.

We are aware that many traders comply strictly

the CITES controls and only deal in legally obtained ivory.

are

also aware of the recent steps which have been taken in

Kong to tighten existing controls on trade in ivory.

however,

distinguish

It

ivory

with

We

Hong

18:

።። I am SUTE you know, extremely difficult to

legally obtained ivory once it has been worked from

legal ivory and illegal ivory can enter trade through this

loophole. Furthermore, it is clear that existing controls under

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of

Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), including the quota system, have

the

not been sufficient to halt a severe decline in the population of

the African elephant; I understand that during the past ten

years, numbers have decreased by 45%.

The Government have become increasingly

are

concerned about the

plight of the elephant and now believe that stronger measures

vital to ConserVE the species. Lord Caithness visited Kenya

1.