TNAG-1956-FCO40-2785-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 170

African Elephant Working Group, which met recently in Botswana, appointed a representative of Cameroon as co- ordinator between the southern African states, and the East

African states which support the ban. The aim of this exercise was to produce a consensus view acceptable to both sides to put to the Conference. We do not know what form

such a consensus would take but it might involve:-

(a) Appendix I listing with export quotas for certain countries; cr

(b) Appendix I listing for all populations except those of the southern African states, whose populations would stay on Appendix II under the existing controls.

SONG KONG

The outcome of the Appendix I proposals is of particular significance to Hong Kong, which is one of the major centres of the world's ivory trade and has an ivory carving industry employing, it has been suggested, some 3000 people in the colony. Hong Kong supports a ban on trade in new ivory but wisnes to be allowed to trade in existing legal stocks. At the African Elephant Working Group, the CITES Secretariat undertook to prepare a resolution which would facilitate this. It may also encompass other countries who have stocks of ivory. The Foreign Office are sympathetic to Hong Kong's case and would like to see us try to accommodate them. Lord Caithness previously endorsed the view that the sale of existing ivory stocks would not be detrimental to the conservation of the African elephant, providing that there was a system of controls to prevent illegal ivory entering the market and that satisfactory evidence of the legality of the ivory was produced. He was, therefore, happy for us to

support the proposal in principle.

8. There will, however, be strong opposition to this

proposal. At a recent meeting with Wildlife Link, the NGOs