Northland iwi leader Sonny Tau has been fined and sentenced to community work in the Invercargill District Court on Thursday for killing five protected native wood pigeons, then lying about it.
Mr Tau was fined $12,000 and ordered to pay DOC reparation of $12,500 for hunting and killing a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1953. He was convicted and discharged on a second charge of possessing kererū.
A sentence of three months community detention and 100 hours community work was also imposed for the Police charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice, after his son-in-law took the blame for hunting the kererū, which were in fact hunted by Mr Tau.
Mr Tau pleaded guilty to the two Wildlife Act charges, which were laid by DOC in July last year.
Tau was caught at Invercargill Airport in June 2015 with the frozen birds, which have been protected by law since 1912. He admitted having the dead wood pigeon, but denied killing or hunting them.
The dead wood pigeon (Department of Conservation)
After a police and DOC investigation, he was charged with killing or hunting a protected species and also of unlawfully being in possession of protected wildlife.
He was also charged with perverting the course of justice.
In May, he pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice after he confessed he lied about his involvement in the incident.
DOC Deputy Director-General of Operations Mike Slater said the sentence sends a strong message that killing protected wildlife is not acceptable.
"DOC takes the illegal hunting of New Zealand’s native species very seriously. The continued poaching of kererū puts extra pressure on a species already under threat from pests and loss of forest habitat," says Mr Slater.
"It also undermines the conservation work by DOC, councils, local communities and iwi to control pests and restore forests to safeguard this much-loved species and taonga."
The Ngapuhi elder was stood down from his role as a Treaty of Waitangi negotiator for the iwi.
He has voiced his regret over his actions saying: "I also wish to say this was a mistake, which I deeply regret. The laws around native bird protection are important and to be respected by all, myself included".
Ngāpuhi Rūnanga Board of Trustees acting board chair, Carol Dodd says: "The board notes Raniera (Sonny) Tau’s court case has now been finalised following his sentencing earlier today.
"The board will take advice and meet in the coming weeks to discuss and decide the next steps in regards to this matter. The Rūnanga, including the Board of Trustees will not comment further on matters relating to Mr Tau, until a further statement is released."
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