TNAG-1955-FCO40-2784-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 121

African

The

elephant from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES.

vernment appreciates, however, that this a complex matter which

involves many difficult issues such as the fate of existing legal

stocks of ivory, These issues will be discussed at the next

Conference of the

Parties to CITES in October.

listen carefully

discussions,

The

UK

will

TO all the arguments and play a full part in

In the meantime,

will, I understand, be

ivory trade

representatives of the Hong Kong

attending the meeting of the African

Elephant Working Group in Botswana from 4-7 July and will have an

opportunity to argue their case there. The Conference of the

Parties will doubtless give careful consideration to the results

of this Meeting and to the views expressed there by trading

interests,

I

in

read with interest your proposal for å Moratorium on trade

new ivory to allow stocks of ivory from natural wastage of

elephants to build up. We shall bear this proposal in mind as we

prepare for the Conference,

of ivory into the

Turning to the recent ban on the import

European Community, the Government believes that this measure is

necessary to minimise the threat to the elephant,

term strategy for its future survival,

Conference, is worked out,

whilst a long

which is a matter for the

I hope that you will find the above information helpful

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