TNAG-2133-FCO40-3048-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 171

Rt. Hon. Margaret Thatcher, MP,

Prime Minister

16 July 1990

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The

Require that commercial traders holding more than 5 kilos of ivory keep their ivory in

bonded warehouse, with only sufficient being allowed out at any one time to satisfy local demand and with a system whereby all ivory sold locally is accounted for. Unless this ivory is held under lock and key, we are convinced that attempts to smuggle ivory out of Hong Kong, particularly into Japan, will continue. There are about 880 registered owners of/ more than 5 kilos of ivory at present in

in Hong Kong, of which more than 600 are commercial traders. It would take a minimum of four people to do a stock check of each registered owner once a year under the current registration system, and this would not be enough to prevent smuggling. The only satisfactory

satisfactory alternative

a bonded warehouse system would be a massive increase in staff to carry out. regular checks of registered owners, but this would be extremely expensive as well as less efficient.

to

Destroy the 2.5 tonnes of ivory currently held as confiscated stock by the Hong Kong Government. Taiwan burnt nearly 1 tonne of confiscated ivory at the end of

May and it would be

a very positive sign

sign of Hong Kong commitment to strict enforcement of

ivory ban if it followed suit.

the

worldwide ivory ban is working remarkably well and the poaching of elephants has declined markedly although it has not stopped. If the ban can be kept watertight there is an excellent chance that poaching will decline still further and that the African elephant will become a conservation success story. However, the battle is not yet won and a vital part of the

campaign is to ensure that Hong Kong now fully complies with its CITES obligations. We hope very much that you will ensure this happens.

Yours sincerely,

Siwan Lyster

Simon Lyster

Senior Conservation Officer (International)

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