The organisers of this weekend's Wild Foods Festival on the West Coast have been told they cannot sell meat from a particular variety of native bird but it will still be on offer for sampling.

The pukeko is considered a pest by some farmers and landowners but it cannot be cooked and sold.

However, festival spokesman Mike Keenan says Fish and Game had an issue with too many pukeko, so culled around 120 which will be cooked up on Saturday.

The festival will feature 66 stalls selling exotic fare such as huhu grubs, West Coast whitebait, grasshoppers and snails.

Up to 12,000 people are expected to attend and Mr Keenan says the forecast is for fine weather.