TNAG-2129-FCO40-3044-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 74

B.

CONFIDENTIAL

(27)

023233

MDHIAN 2742

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 17083OZ FCO

TELNO 208

OF 17050OZ JANUARY 90

26

HKCISI

IN

RECEIVED IN PÉGISTRY

17 JAN 1990 TOP COPY

DSSK OFFICER

Action fatal

YOUR TELNO 173 AND 174: HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE

1. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR AGREEMENT TO ENTER A RESERVATION ON OUR

BEHALF.

2. WE ARE HAPPY WITH DRAFT PRESS LINE AND THE ADDITIONAL POINTS LISTED, SUBJECT TO A GENERAL PREFERENCE FOR USE OF THE WORD QUOTE STOCK UNQUOTE RATHER THAN QUOTE STOCKPILE UNQUOTE IN PARAS 3(E), 5 AND 6. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO CONSIDER WHETHER QUOTE BUT UNQUOTE SHOULD BE DELETED IN PARA 3(G). FURTHER POSSIBLE POINT:

(M) WILL HK NEED NEW LEGISLATION? EXISTING HK LEGISLATION DOES NOT PROVIDE SPECIFIC POWERS TO BAN TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES. AN AMENDING BILL WILL BE INTRODUCED. EXPECT IT TO BE IN PLACE IN GOOD TIME.

3. AS REGARDS BACKGROUND, PARA 5, OF SECOND TUR:-

(A) WE DO NOT HAVE UP TO DATE VALUE TO ENTER AGAINST THE FIGURE QUOTE ? 80M UNQUOTE. WE HAVE USED THE FIGURE OF ONE BILLION HK DOLLARS AS BEING THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF STOCKS IN HAND PRIOR TO THE CITES MEETING IN OCTOBER. WE UNDERSTAND VALUES HAVE DROPPED SINCE

THAT TIME:

(B) THE CASE FOR CONTINUED TRADE WAS, WE UNDERSTAND, DEFEATED BY A VOTE OF SOME 26 TO 6. YOU MAY WISH TO STATE THIS RATHER THAN REFER

TO A QUOTE LARGE MAJORITY UNQUOTE.

4. WE HOPE TO FAX OUR DRAFT PRESS RELEASE TO STONE HKD LATER TODAY, MEANWHILE WE ARE ALREADY RECEIVING PRESS ENQUIRIES AS TO THE POSITION.

WILSON

YYYY

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL

1

?