TNAG-2132-FCO40-3047-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 115

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

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Telephone 01- 210 6361

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JUN 1990

B McGrath Esq, CVO

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Your reference

Our reference TXR 396/4

Date 3 May 1990

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Mr Hoti dyd

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Dear Brian,

Thank you for your memorandum of 5 April with which you enclosed a copy of an article from WWF News. You indicated that comment on this article from the originators of the background brief "Hong Kong and the Ivory Trade" would be welcome. We would make the following points.

The figure of 670 tonnes of ivory which we used at the time of the CITES Conference was the Hong Kong Government's estimate of total stocks based on figures submitted by traders. Subsequently, the Hong Kong Government voluntarily introduced a system of possession licensing. This has meant that since 12 January 1990 all holders of stock in excess of 5 kg have required possession licences. It was not until stocks were registered in this way, however, that the Hong Kong authorities were able to arrive at an accurate figure of the total stocks, which now stand at approximately 472 tonnes. Some 52 tonnes have been exported since the original estimates were made in the middle of 1989.

Of the present stocks of 472 tonnes 116 do not possess CITES documents. Some of this ivory is pre-Convention stock. Some is worked ivory, imported before Hong Kong introduced controls on worked ivory in 1988. In some cases documentation is missing for a variety of reasons. These include careless paperwork, intermediate traders going out of business and the practice of carvers buying small quantities of ivory from traders, carving and selling back to the traders. Some ivory traders, with the introduction of restrictions and depression of the Market, have refused to buy back the carved ivory, leaving a large number of carvers each holding small quantities with no documents. event, whatever the reason, the Hong Kong Government will not permit the export of any stock not covered by CITES documents.

In any