TNAG-2129-FCO40-3044-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 45

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 221

OF 231845Z JANUARY 90

CONFIDENTIAL

HKCISI

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

29 JAN 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

Action Taken

51

045260

MDHOAN 1708

TOP COPY DIST

YOUR TELNO 288: HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE: POS

1.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE MATERIAL IN TUR. BUT BEFORE WE FINALISE OUR REPLIES TO THESE PQS, THERE ARE SEVERAL FURTHER POINTS WE NEED TO CLARIFY

2. ON THE QUESTION OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO RESIDUAL STOCKS ONCE THE SIX MONTHS RESERVATION EXPIRES, WE WOULD LIKE TO STRENGTHEN THE SUGGESTED REPLY IN PARA 1(A) OF TUR AS FOLLOWS

QUOTE UNDER THE CITES BAN, ALL EXPORTS OF IVORY WILL CEASE. ANY IVORY NOT DISPOSED OF BY THE END OF THE 6 MONTHS EXEMPTION PERIOD COULD NOT BE LEGALLY EXPORTED AS NO LICENCE FOR THIS WOULD BE

ISSUED BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES. IT WILL BE UP TO THE

TRADERS THEMSELVES TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH ANY RESIDUAL STOCKS THAT THEY MIGHT POSSESS. UNQUOTE

3. SINCE WE CAN EXPECT FURTHER PROBING QUESTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW

(A) WHETHER IVORY WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON SALE IN HONG KONG WHEN

THE SIX MONTHS RESERVATION EXPIRES

(B) SINCE TOURIST PURCHASES WILL BE BANNED UNDER CITES RULES, WHAT MEASURES DO YOU PROPOSE TO TAKE TO PREVENT SALES TO VISITORS TO HONG KONG.

4. ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER ALL THE CURRENT IVORY STOCKS WERE

LEGALLY ACQUIRED, IT IS NOT CLEAR FROM THE DRAFT REPLY WHY SOME TRADERS DO NOT HAVE CITES PAPERS FOR THEIR STOCKS AND HOW MUCH THESE STOCKS AMOUNT TO. IN VIEW OF THE BACKGROUND MATERIAL IN PARA 4 OF TUR, WE WOULD PREFER TO EXPAND THE REPLY IN PARA 1 (F) AS FOLLOWS

QUOTE THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAVE INSPECTED ALL THE IVORY STOCKS IN THE TERRITORY. X TONS HAVE CITES CERTIFICATES AND ONLY THESE STOCKS CAN BE EXPORTED IN THE EXEMPTION PERIOD. THE REST, SOME Y TONS, IS BELIEVED TO BE IVORY ACQUIRED BEFORE THE CITES

CONTROLS WERE IMPOSED IN 1986. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY WERE ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED. HOWEVER NO STOCKS CAN BE EXPORTED WITHOUT CITES CERTIFICATES. UNQUOTE

+

5. AS FOR THE EXACT SIZE OF THE CURRENT IVORY STOCK, WE WERE CONCERNED TO SEE THAT THE FIGURES IN PARA 1(G) ARE VERY MUCH LOWER THAN ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED. WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE BREAKDOWN FAXED TO US BY CLARK THAT SOME 50 TONNES HAVE BEEN

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