From The Minister of State
2 Iran.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
7 March 1990
Thank you for your letter of 9 January to Douglas Hurd enclosing one from your constituent, Dr Stephen Cobb of the Environment and Development Group, Oxford University.
We weighed carefully all the considerations and concluded that entering the Reservation was the best way of meeting our responsibilities to a Dependent Territory without compromising our support for measures to preserve the African elephant. We have made it clear that the Reservation is for six months only. It is designed to give Hong Kong a reasonable period in which to adjust to the ban by allowing traders to dispose of stocks in an orderly fashion and enabling those working in the ivory trade to find alternative employment or vocational re-training. The Hong Kong authorities estimate that some 3,000 people are engaged in the ivory trade, including 1,200 carvers. The Hong Kong Labour Department have set up a special employment register to help ivory workers find alternative employment, and re-training courses are available for those wishing to adapt their skills to other fields. For those engaged on re-training, the Hong Kong authorities are making enhanced rates of the social benefits available.
Stocks in Hong Kong are registered, and since 12 January possession licences are required for all commercial ivory and personal effects exceeding 5 kg. Records show that there are some 800 holders of commercial stocks and the Hong Kong Management Authority, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, have found no evidence of illegal holdings.
I can assure you that both the British Government and Hong Kong remain fully committed to the conservation of endangered species and to CITES itself, and that we would not have entered a Reservation if we believed that by doing so we were putting at risk the future of the African elephant.
The Rt Hon John Patten MP
House of Commons LONDON SW1A OAA
The Rt Hon William Waldegrave
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