Wellington, May 5 NZPA - Charges will be laid against five Norwegian hunters who shot and killed protected kereru pigeons while on a visit to New Zealand in January, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said today.

The men filmed parts of their visit and posted on YouTube a clip which included a kereru being shot with a high-powered rifle. Paradise ducks were also shot out of season.

The Norwegians had hunting permits for the Canterbury and Otago conservancies, but did not have permits to hunt on the West Coast, where the alleged offending occurred.

They will have charges laid against them under the Wildlife Act 1953 and Conservation Act 1987, under which the most serious offences carry penalties of a year in jail or a fine of up to $100,000.

Ms Wilkinson said the District Court could issue warrants for their arrest that would be actioned should they ever return to New Zealand.

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