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Background
D 4. In my minute of 21 February I reported that Dr Richard Leakey of
the Kenyan Wildlife Department had claimed that the six-month exemption had led directly to an increase in poaching in Africa. Reports from our posts in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam, and comments from Hong Kong, indicate that this is a somewhat simplistic view and that there are a number of other reasons why poaching may have increased. Nevertheless, Dr Leakey is influential and well-respected. His allegations (which match those made by conservation NGOs in the UK at the time we entered the Reservation) may well cause us problems.
F
G
5.
ivory
We and Hong Kong are reasonably confident that illegal will not be able to enter Hong Kong undetected or be exported. Since 12 January all stocks of ivory exceeding 5kg have been licenced, movements of ivory from dealer to dealer within Hong Kong have been recorded, as have exports from the Territory.
Stocks of ivory Consequently any imports should be detected easily. are subject to spot check and those without a licence are liable to prosecution. This makes concealing illegal stocks much more difficult. A recent seizure of a small quantity (47.5kg) of worked ivory imported illegally from Thailand, Taiwan and China shows that the controls are having an impact.
6. We cannot entirely rule out the possibility that poachers in
East Africa have misunderstood the situation and are trying to dispose of illegal ivory through Hong Kong. But Sir Geoffrey Howe challenged Dr Leakey's accusations in the House on 22 February, offering an investigation of any evidence of Hong Kong complicity in No evidence has so far illegal importing of ivory from East Africa. been produced.
Argument
7 There are two sentences in the standard reply which refer to the
The first alleged connection between the Reservation and poaching.
is the sentence at the end of paragraph 2 which reads 'Enforcement
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