TNAG-2131-FCO40-3046-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 127

1.

RECES

DESK

INDEX

HKC Isl

15t

30 MAR 1990

RY

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4

From: E I

NA

Date: 21 February 1990

CC: PS

PS/Mrs Chalker

PS/Mr Maude

LAÇİ

PS/Lord Brabazon

PS/PUS

Mr Lidington

how, I hoyht

Аз

при the infind leavin

may,

W mayy AAI

They

is whoys leakage of this kind

тату

crafty perators

ѝ НК

with HK our denkin of that

We vildt open up the punbility of remaining

thes

in the

八

then intule me

Wintert sign

Minister

PS/Mr Waldegrave

нагадаха

popar

WILLIAM WALDEGRAVE

Mr Fraser

Mr Bayne

Mr Slater o/r

Mr Carrick

Mr McLaren

Mr Paul HKD

Mr Edis EAD

Mr Davis EAFD ODA

News Dept

HONG KONG IVORY

A

1.

Dr Richard Leakey, Head of Kenya's Wildlife Department, gave an

interview on the BBC's 'Today' programme this morning in which he

claimed that the entering by the UK on behalf of Hong Kong of the

six-month Reservation against the CITES Appendix I listing of the

African elephant has led directly to a resurgence of poaching in Kenya and Tanzania. According to Leakey, Kenya alone has lost 25

elephants in the past month and Kenya and Tanzania have intercepted

shipments of new ivory totalling some 15 tons which were destined

for Hong Kong.

2. We have to acknowledge that Leakey is in the UK for

to raise funds and may well be over-stating the poaching problem.

Nevertheless his allegations strike at the very heart of our defence

of the entering of the six months' Reservation. Conservation NGOS,

including the respected World Wide Fund for Nature, and members of

the public (in 197 MPs letters and 1123 direct letters) have alleged that the Reservation would simply encourage the resurgence of world

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