TNAG-2130-FCO40-3045-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 70

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TELNO 361

TO DESKBY 160100Z HONG KONG

OF 15173OZ FEBRUARY 90

CONEIDENT

HKC 151/1

RECEIVED IN

16 FEB 1990

DESK

INDLX

uken

TUF COP

(100

147446 MDHOAN 3215

67

99

YOUR TELNOS 355 AND 556: HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE

THE DETAILS IN TELS UR DO NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION FOR A SUBSTANTIVE REPLY TO THE SECOND PQ. WE HAVE THEREFORE DRAFTED A HOLDING ANSWER.

1.

2 =

WE HAVE GIVEN PROMINENCE IN BRIEFING AND PUBLIC STATEMENTS TO THE STRICT CONTROLS AND REGISTRATION PROCEDURES YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED TO MONITOR STOCKS. WE ARE THEREFORE RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER WHICH SIMPLY LISTS ALL THE COUNTRIES FROM WHICH THE PRESENT STOCK NEXT WORD UNDERLINED MIGHT HAVE COME.

3.

WE WONDER WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE TOTAL WEIGHTS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AS SHOWN ON THE CITES CERTIFICATES OF STOCKS SO FAR PUT ONTO THE COMPUTER. IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO KNOW WHAT STATISTICS OF THIS NATURE THE DATA BASE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE.

THE LIST OF MAJOR SUPPLIERS IN CLARK'S FACSIMILE MESSAGE OF

14 FEBRUARY IS USEFUL BACKGROUND BUT WOULD BE DAMAGING INFORMATION IF MADE PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY THE UNCOMFORTABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IVORY FROM SUDAN AND THE REDUCTION IN THE ELEPHANT POPULATION THERE. WE WERE ALSO SURPRISED TO SEE THE LARGE TOTAL OF IMPORTS FROM JAPAN. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR OUR BACKGROUND INFORMATION IF YOU COULD PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS FIGURE. DOES IT PERHAPS RELATE TO IVORY SENT FROM JAPAN FOR WORKING IN HONG KONG AND RETURN TO JAPAN?

5.

THERE IS A FURTHER DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON

16 FEBRUARY. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THERE HAVE YET BEEN ANY EXPORTS SINCE THE RESERVATION WAS ENTERED.

GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY DESKBY 16080OZ SO THAT WE HAVE THE INFORMATION IN TIME FOR THE DEBATE. A RESPONSE TO PARAGRAPH 4 ABOVE COULD BE MADE IN SLOWER TIME.

6.

HURD

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL