TNAG-1957-FCO40-2786-Hong-Kong-Animals-and-Plants-(Protection-of-Endangered-Speci-1989 — Page 78

CONFIDENTIAL

AKCISI

AKCISI/1

323

002171

MDHIAN 4602

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO

IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3793

OF 15090OZ NOVEMBER 89

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON PLEASE PASS GOVERNOR HONG KONG

309

1311

(306)

(312)

OUR TELNOS 3706 AND 3724: YOUR TELNOS 2246 AND 2271 CITES AND THE IVORY TRADE.

1. WE (SES AND HER TEAM) WERE SUMMONED TO APPEAR THIS MORNING BEFORE AN AD-HOC GROUP OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO EXPLAIN THE HKG

POSITION ON IVORY.

2. THE GROUP WAS TOLD THAT :

(A) IN OUR VIEW MORE TIME WAS NEEDED FOR TRADERS TO DISPOSE OF EXISTING LEGALLY OBTAINED IVORY STOCKS AND FOR A RETRAINING SCHEME

FOR EXISTING WORKERS TO BE IMPLEMENTED:

(B) WE THUS SUPPORTED A SHORT-TERM (SIX MONTHS) RESERVATION AND HAD SO PROPOSED TO THE FCO: AND

(C) WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WORKERS WELL BEING AND WERE TAKING STEPS TO ENSURE THE WERE AWARE OF THEIR RIGHTS UNDER OUR EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION. AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE WORKING ON A RETRAINING SCHEME FOR THOSE WORKERS WHO SOUGHT NEW SKILLS.

3. FOLLOWING CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION, LEGCO MEMBERS MADE THE

FOLLOWING POINTS:-

(A) THEY FELT THAT A SIX MONTHS RESERVATION WOULD BE INADEQUATE IN

THE CIRCUMSTANCES: IT HAD BEEN PUT TO THEM THAT TWO YEAR WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE, THOUGH THEY WERE INCLINED TO SUPPORT TWELVE MONTHS: AND

(B) IF A RESERVATION OF ADEQUATE DURATION HAS NOT ENTERED ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF, THEY WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THEIR OPTION OF WITHHOLDING THE LEGISLATION WE SHALL NEED TO IMPLEMENT THE BAN ON

INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN IVORY.

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CONFIDENTIAL