TNAG-1955-FCO40-2784-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 47

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 26080OZ FCO

TELNO 2502

OF 26050OZ JULY 89

186

RESTRICTED

HKC 151/1

187

154020

MDHIAN 4609

Entert YA

YOUR TELNO 1560 : HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE

THE TRANSFER OF MARKINGS FROM RAW TO WORKED IVORY POSES SOME DIFFICULTIES AS IT WILL DEFACE AND DEVALUE THE WORKED IVORY. AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONDUCTING AN EXERCISE TO REGISTER ALL STOCKS OF IVORY IN HONG KONG. BY THE COMPLETION OF THIS EXERCISE (PROBABLY WITHIN TWO MONTHS), ALL RAW IVORY WILL BE MARKED AND THE SOURCE OF IMPORT COULD BE CONFIRMED. IT WOULD THEN BE POSSIBLE TO DEVISE A SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT WORKED IVORY EXPORTED BACK TO EC ORIGINATED FROM EC. TO PREVENT ABUSE WE WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WHICH WE CANNOT GUARANTEE AT THIS STAGE COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE.

WILSON

26/7

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

23

LIMITED

MAED

HKD

DISTRIBUTION

26

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

MR BAYNE

MR SLATER

ADDITIONAL

3

MR FOLLAND, DRA, DOE (BRISTOL) HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE,

LONDON

NNNN

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