TNAG-1955-FCO40-2784-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 61

RESTRICTED

1182)

134506

MDHIAN 3768

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 19090OZ FCO

TELNO 2416

OF 19085OZ JULY 89

YOUR TELNO 1533

73

HKC151

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

WE SUGGEST YOU BASE YOUR REPLIES ON THE FOLLOWING:

(A) THE CURRENT ESTIMATED STOCK OF LEGALLY OBTAINED AND LEGALLY HELD IVORY (I.E. IVORY OBTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CITES) IS ABOUT 670 METRIC TONNES. THIS CONSISTS OF 500 TONNES OF RAW AND 170 TONNES OF WORKED IVORY.

WE CANNOT BE SURE OF EXACT QUANTITIES SINCE ONLY STOCKS IMPORTED

SINCE 1 JANUARY 1986 ARE REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED UNDER CITES GUIDELINES. WE ARE, HOWEVER, NOW REGISTERING ALL STOCKS AND SHOULD KNOW THE FULL PICTURE IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS.

(B) THE SPECIAL TASK FORCE SET UP BY THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT CONSISTS OF ONE SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, ONE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, FOUR SENIOR INSPECTORS AND FOUR INSPECTORS. THE TASK FORCE HAS SPECIFIC RESPONSBILITIES FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN IVORY IN ADDITION TO ITS FUNCTIONS IN RESPECT OF OFFENCES IN CONNECTION WITH DANGEROUS DRUGS, DUTIABLE COMMODITIES, ETC.

THE TASK FORCE HAS NO BUDGET SEPARATE FROM THAT OF THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE, BUT SHARES THE RESOURCES OF THE DEPARTMENT AS IS NECESSARY FOR ITS DUTIES.

SINCE THE TASK FORCE WAS ESTABLISHED ON 1 JUNE 1989 A TOTAL OF 35 CASES HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED. 31 OF THESE CASES WERE FOUND TO BE IN ORDER. SEIZURES WERE MADE IN TWO CASES. TWO CASES ARE PENDING.

FULL DETAILS ARE BEING FAXED TO FOOTMAN HKD.

WILSON

YYYY