TNAG-1956-FCO40-2785-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 98

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 04110OZ FCO

TELNO 3282

OF 0409OOZ OCTOBER 89

HKCISI/1

COPY OPBIST?

TOP COPY

247

020555

MDHIAN 8300

YOUR TELNO 1995 OF 3 OCTOBER.

IVORY: MP'S LETTERS.

WE SUGGEST YOU BASE YOUR REPLY ON THE FOLLOWING:

(A) THE ALLEGATION THAT ILLEGAL IVORY IS RUSHING INTO HONG KONG IN ANTICIPATION OF AN EXEMPTION TO TRADE IS BASED ON IMAGINATION AND NOT ON FACT. THE FACT IS THAT, NO IVORY, EITHER WORKED OR RAW, MAY BE IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG WITHOUT A LICENCE ISSUED IN ADVANCE BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT. ONLY IVORY FROM CITES APPROVED SOURCE (WITH CITES EXPORT QUOTA OR REGISTERED WITH CITES) MAY BE

IMPORTED.

(B) THE STATEMENT THAT THE HONG KONG IVORY TRADE HAS USED THE SMALL LEGAL TRADE TO LAUNDER HUNDREDS OF TONNES OF ILLEGAL IVORY EACH YEAR IS ALSO UNTRUE. WE HAVE IMPOSED AN IMPORT BAN ON ALL IVORY WITH EFFE-

CT FROM 16 JUNE. ALL EXISTING STOCKS ARE REGISTERED AND THEIR MOVEMENTS WILL BE MONITORED BY A COMPUTER DATA BASE. TO ENHANCE OUR ALREADY STRINGENT CONTROL, WE ARE TAKING STEPS TO LICENSE THE POSSESSION OF COMMERCIAL WORKED IVORY AND EXTEND LICENSING CONTROL TO COVER WORKED IVORY AS WELL. THE SINGAPORE INCIDENT IS AN IRRELEVANT EXAMPLE AS SINGAPORE HAD NO CONTROL OVER IVORY IMPORTS BEFORE IT

JOINED CITES IN 1986.

(C) MAJORITY OF HONG KONG'S IVORY TRADERS ARE FOLLOWING THE RULES OF CITES STRICTLY. THEY ARE DOING DECENT BUSINESS AND SHOULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED WITH THE HANDFUL OF OTHERS WHO HAVE MOVED THEIR OPERATION- AL BASE OUTSIDE HONG KONG (TO EVADE OUR STRICT CONTROL). TO BAN TRADING OF HONG KONG'S EXISTING STOCKS WOULD PRODUCE COUNTER-PRODUCT- IVE RESULTS IN THAT THE RESULTING SITUATION WILL BE GROSSLY UNFAIR TO THESE TRADERS WHO HAVE ACQUIRED THEIR STOCKS LEGALLY FROM COUNTRIES THAT ARE CITES SIGNATORIES. NOT ONLY WILL THIS UNDERMINE THE CREDIBILITY OF CITES, BUT IT MAY EVEN ENCOURAGE MORE TRADERS TO MOVE OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW OF CITES. THIS WILL ALLOW THE TRADE TO FLOURISH UNABATED AND UNCONTROLLED AND IS THE WORST RESULT THAT ANYONE CONCERNED WITH THE PLIGHT OF THE ELEPHANT WOULD WISH FOR.

PAGE

1

RESTRICTED