Sonny Tau's possession of five New Zealand native kereru pigeon for consumption and then glibly apologising for this sacrilege beggars belief.
Some of us are well aware that Northland Maori still hunt native pigeon as do Tuhoe in the Urewera.
Customary right arguments are vacuous and protection was needed andgiven to kereru which only lay one egg a year and play a very important part in our native forests by dispersing the seeds of our native trees for regeneration.
The introduction of predators and the destruction of the kereru's natural habitat was bad enough but to hunt them is unsustainable and spells doom for our native pigeon.
Sonny Tau, being a Ngapuhi Maori leader, should set the standard for the protection of our native species but instead he showed disregard for our wildlife laws and the conservation of the kereru.
In the eyes of the rest of us, to kill our native pigeons, which are struggling to survive along with other native birds, is unlawful, culturally insensitive and a crime - prosecution is a must.
