The Maori Party has hit back at comments by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry that allowing kereru to be eaten was a bad idea because "Maori ate moa as well".
Te Ururoa Flavell has backed a call by Dame Tariana Turia for the native pigeon to be eaten on special occasions,
and his Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox said Conservation Minister Maggie Barry's comments on the matter were misguided.
"I think it's more important to understand that 86 per cent of our country has been clear-felled for farming, and that might have had something to do with the extinction of a lot of our flora and fauna ... it's not helpful for a lot of comments to be made, but we're not going to take offence over little things like that."
Ms Barry had earlier rubbished the suggestion that eating kereru could be allowed in certain circumstances.
