TNAG-1956-FCO40-2785-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 173

FRUM

L'

E ORA

Ta

8.18.1783

P. 8

13. In view of the strength of the UK's stand on the need for tighter controls on the ivory trade; our publicly announced acceptance of the view that the existing ivory quota system has been insufficient to prevent a dangerous decline in elephant populations; and our support for the casa for Appendix I listing, option (iii) does to appear to be a realistic starter.

14.

Appendix I with no exceptions seems unlikely at this stage to be acceptable to a number of crucial producer and consumer countries, and as mentioned above, would thus be

likely to result in reservations being entered which would

render the Appendix I listing ineffective. So unless there is a substantial change of heart on the part of these countries between now and the Conference in October, a hard line approach seems unlikely to achieve much in conservation

terms.

15.

Although there would be opposition from NGOs and some CITES Parties to the more pragmatic approach favoured by the southern African states, this option seems at present to offer the best prospect of helping to conserve the African elephant. We have had informal indications that

some of the more moderate NGOs (reg WWF) might be prepared to support some continuation of trade if the alternative is

the entry of reservations. We therefore recommend that should circumstances require, the UK should be prepared to accept some degree of trade subject to the development of a watertight monitoring and control system.