Queenstown businessman Al Spary is calling for supporters of convicted Haast greenstone thieves Dave and Morgan Saxton to boycott Ngai Tahu businesses.
Mr Spary supports the Saxtons' appeal against their convictions and jail sentences for greenstone theft and is helping host a function in Wanaka's Post Office Lane on April 12 to raise money for the Saxton Appeal Trust.
People he had spoken to did not agree with the guilty verdict, Mr Spary said on Tuesday.
"The community has to do their best to put that right. And I think we should look at boycotting Ngai Tahu businesses. Certainly, I believe that there could be a groundswell of public opinion against Ngai Tahu businesses.''
The Saxton Appeal Trust campaign function on April 12 would involve four hospitality businesses in Post Office Lane, three of which are owned by Mr Spary.
His company, Goodbars, owns Barluga, Woody's and The Botswana Butchery. The fourth, The Cow, is owned by Malcolm Price and Josie Waters of Queenstown.
Ngai Tahu kaiwhakahaere (chairman) Mark Solomon declined to comment on the activities of the Saxton Appeal Trust and the call to boycott Ngai Tahu businesses beyond saying that stealing pounamu (greenstone) is no less a theft because the owner is Maori.
He outlined the tribe's policy of not commenting when matters are before the court, out of respect to the courts, and provided an unequivocal statement about Ngai Tahu's ownership rights and attempts to clean up the greenstone industry.
"Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu is continually working to protect its property right to pounamu and to ensure that legitimate supplies of pounamu are available to the carving and tourism industry.
"We are committed to cleaning up the industry and are currently identifying stone that is available for commercial use and working through the issues that relate to supplying the industry.
"We are also continuing to monitor illegal greenstone activity and intend to work with all sectors of the industry to ensure everyone understands the rules governing the resource,'' Mr Solomon said.
South Island Maori tribe Ngai Tahu owns several tourism businesses including Shotover Jets and Dart River Safaris in Queenstown and the Hukuwai Centre and ice-climbing wall at Franz Josef.
