TNAG-2130-FCO40-3045-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 7

RESTRICTED

دعا

RECEIV

HKC isa/L

12 MAR 1990

051253

MDHIAN 0693

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 886

OF 12090OZ MARCH 90

(isa)

YOUR TELNO 519 : IVORY : PQ'S

1. IT IS CORRECT TO SAY THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF CITES DOCUMENTATION WE CANNOT TELL THE SOURCE OF ANY ITEM OF IVORY.

2. WE HAVE INSPECTED ALL COMMERCIAL STOCKS OF IVORY BUT NOT (NOT) OF IVORY IN PERSONAL POSSESSION. WE SUGGEST THEREFORE THAT YOU MIGHT ADD QUOTE COMMERCIAL UNQUOTE BEFORE THE WORD QUOTE IVORY UNQUOTE IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE DRAFT REPLY TO QUESTION 1451 (WHICH WE ASSUME IS QUESTION A IN YOUR TELNO 510). ALSO THE SECOND AND THIRD SENTENCE MIGHT BETTER READ:

QUOTE

THEY HAVE FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF THESE STOCKS WERE ILLEGALLY

ACQUIRED. AS REGARDS THOSE STOCKS WHICH DO NOT HAVE CITES

DOCUMENTATION...

UNQUOTE

糖姜

3. ON QUESTION 1452 (QUERY, QUESTION C IN YOUR TELNO 510 POSSESSION LICENCES ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL COMMERCIAL HOLDINGS AND PERSONAL HOLDINGS IN EXCESS OF 5KG. WE ARE CONSIDERING RELAXING THE LATTER

SINCE IT NO LONGER SERVES A USEFUL PURPOSE AND IS SIMPLY A PUBLIC

IRRITANT. WE SUGGEST AN ANSWER THEREFORE ON THE FOLLOWING LINES :

QUOTE

THERE ARE 116 TONNES OF IVORY IN HONG KONG WHICH DO NOT HAVE CITES DOCUMENTATION. HOWEVER, ALL COMMERCIAL HOLDINGS ARE REQUIRED TO BE LICENSED AND ALL TUSKS AND LARGE CUT PIECES ARE MARKED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CITES IVORY CONTROL PROCEDURES. NO IVORY WHICH DOES NOT HAVE CITES DOCUMENTATION MAY BE EXPORTED FROM HONG KONG.

THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAVE INSPECTED ALL COMMERCIAL IVORY STOCKS IN THE TERRITORY. THEY HAVE FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF THESE STOCKS WERE ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED. UNQUOTE

4. ON QUESTION 1453 (QUERY, QUESTION B OF YOUR TELNO 510) WE ARE

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