TNAG-2132-FCO40-3047-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 174

CONFIDENTIAL

202

ACEALH

PS

FROM:

E J Hughes

MAED

DATE:

17 April 1990

HKC Is

RECE

16 M 990

cé

HONG KONG IVORY

1.

PS/Mr Waldegrave

Mr Stone, HKD

M

vir Holroyd Gil

Pa.

In your minute of 4 April you asked whether we really have grounds to believe that some of the ivory stocks may have been acquired before 1976 and also whether we could say more about the extent to which Hong Kong has inspected the ivory stocks for evidence of illegal importation. We asked Hong Kong on these two points and have received helpful replies.

Hong Kong have suggested five reasons why there might be pre-1976 stocks still in the territory:

2.

persons who have inherited ivory from parents or others who

were originally carvers;

reluctance to sell exceptional tusks or worked pieces at market prices;

- low quality of some stocks (pieces/waste would be of less

commercial value);

unsaleability of some old carved items;

conservatism of carvers and some traders.

3. While all these reasons no doubt have validity and might

possibly amount to a few tonnes, common sense dictates that such reasons simply could not account for 116 tonnes of ivory.

CONFIDENTIAL