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b) being prepared to support some degree of trade from Southern African countries whose elephant populations are capable of agreed
and controlled exploitation (subject to watertight monitoring) and c) supporting Hong Kong's case at the Conference for continued trade
in existing stocks, being prepared to abstain in voting if the EC
opposes it.
3.
HKD, CA ED, EAD, SAfD and ECD (I) agree. A draft reply
is attached.
Background and Argument
4.
The Convention on International Trade in endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora came into force on 31 October 1976, and 103
states are now parties to it. The Seventh Conference of contracting
parties will be held in Lausanne from 9-20 October. It is likely to
be the most contentious yet, as the dominant theme of the Conference
will be a proposal from seven countries, mainly those in East Africa
whose elephant herds have been decimated by poaching, to upgrade the
African elephant from listing on Appendix II of CITES to Appendix I,
thereby effectively banning international trade in African elephant
ivory and products. To be adopted the proposal requires a two-thirds majority of those parties voting. As Mr Trippier
explains in his letter, the UK, which banned all imports of ivory on 9 June, and the EC, which followed suit on 17 August, support
Appendix I listing for the African elephant in principle whilst recognising that there are more complex issues involved. These are the questions of exemption for trade in ivory from Southern African countries, and in existing legal stocks.
5. Although the numbers of elephant in East Africa have been
drastically reduced through poaching, the herds in Southern African states are continuing to grow. In Botswana and Zimbabwe the numbers
of elephant have increased since 1979 from 20,000 to 60,000 and from
30,000 to 45,000 respectively. These increases have meant that
culling is in some cases necessary to relieve pressure on elephant
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