CODE 18.77
UNCLASSIFIED
HKC151
Reference..
B76ACH/SLK
Mr Hobed
RM1Y
170
Mr Hughes
AFRICAN ELEPHANTS
1. Further to your minute of 6 July, Peter Newman of the High Commission in Gaberone telephoned this morning to give us Mr Folland's summary of discussions \so far at the African Elephant Working Group meeting. For reasons which are not entirely clear to me, this telephone call represents the response to our request for a reporting telegram from Folland (DOE representative at the meeting).
2. Mr Newman said that there had so far been no agreement on Appendix I listing under CITES for the African elephant. The East African States were strongly in favour or Appendix I listing; opposition to Appendix I listing and support for continued trade in sustainable populations had come from Southern African States, with Zimbabwe taking the lead. Botswana had declared its intention to continue trade in ivory. In the circumstances it was unlikely that any consensus would emerge on the key question of Appendix I listing.
3.
Mr Folland left a message with the High Commission to say that he would telephone you on Tuesday 11 July to arrange a meeting to brief us on the outcome of the Conference. I take it from this that he will not be able to stop off in London on his return journey, as we proposed.
Comment
4. I understand from DOE, Bristol, that Simon Listor of WWF was interviewed on Radio 4 this morning, about the Gaberone meeting. Listor said that, apart from the Southern African States, some Central African States also opposed Appendix I listing. Listor felt that some compromise might be worked out, whereby Appendix I listing was postponed for one year to allow a fool-proof system to be worked out which would cater for those countries with a surplus of elephants.
>
7 July 1989
CC: Mr Beetham o/r
Mr Bayne
Assistants: HKD
NENAD
CA ED
Ліше
WR Henderson
Maritime, Aviation and Environment Department
EAD
WAD
ECD(E), ECD ( I )
A
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