TNAG-2131-FCO40-3046-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 91

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

His Isl

Telephone 01-

REC

,

Yout reference

30 MAR 1997

David S Melville Esq

Conservation Officer

WWF Hong Kong

GPO Box 12721 The French Mission

1 Battery Park

HONG KONG

Central

Dear Mr Melville,

Our reference

Date

21 March 1990

'STRY

FILE. 172

I do apologise for the delay in replying to your letter of 13 January to the Foreign Secretary about the 6-month Reservation and the ivory trade in Hong Kong.

The (three) export

licences to which you referred in paragraph 2 of your letter were issued before the introduction of the CITES ban on 18 January. In the event they were not used. Since 18 January ivory can only be exported from Hong Kong to countries which are not Parties to CITES or countries which are Parties but which have entered appropriate Resevations

•

Regarding inspection of containerised cargo, I understand that the special Task Force set up by the Customs and Excise Department targets likely consignments rather than acting at random. It does this in respect of ivory as with other contraband and in this way its resources are more effectively used.

We entered the reservation in order to give Hong Kong a short time

in which to adjust to the ban: to enable traders to dispose of some of their stocks and to give time for workers engaged in the ivory trade to find new employment. There is of course a strict ban on imports so any ivory exported cannot be replaced. The restriction is for 6 months only and will not be extended.

Yours sincerely,

Mühl ustane

M V Stone

Hong Kong Department

PJMATG