It is illegal to sell wild rabbit meat, but at least one established Dunedin food retailer is supplying restaurants and individuals.
The man, who did not wish to be named for fear of prosecution, wants laws governing the sale of rabbit meat eased.
"We are sitting on a huge, untapped resource in Otago. If I was allowed to I would be looking to move into the Auckland market and then into exporting," he said.
"If you were allowed to advertise them as wild rabbit the potential market would be great."
The man who has been selling rabbits for three years by word of mouth, said if the market was developed it could offer an alternative means of pest control.
"I started selling them and haven't looked back since."
Wild rabbits sell for about $8 a pair, compared with $13 for a single imported rabbit.
He sells up to 60 a week, about half to restaurants and the rest to individuals. He takes orders and has regular customers.
"I buy up to 500 at a time, all processed up in Central."
The rabbits are caught on remote Otago farm land.
"We are not talking about just out the back of Dunback. These guys go 20km into the farms to places where there are no fences and you are just about standing on rabbits.
"Thousands are being supplied to Christchurch. They are even starting to prepare them in pieces, like chicken pieces."
The sale of wild rabbit meat or skins was made illegal in 1967 by the Agricultural Pest Destruction Act.
The head office assistant policy analyst for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mrs Gill Rusbridge, said the law was to stop people farming rabbits and hindering pest control measures.
The law was being looked at with new legislation to be drafted, she said. The commercial aspect would be addressed in the review.
The Otago SPCA inspector, Mr Mac McGilvray, said he supported a change to rabbit meat sale regulations.
"Without a doubt it would have a effect on the rabbit population. There has got to be an incentive for people," Mr McGilvray said.
"I grew up in the country and eating rabbit meat was a big thing. There's nothing wrong with it. There's no fat on them."
He said rabbits tasted something like chicken.
"As I understand it there's a massive blackmarket in Christchurch. A lot of people like rabbit meat."