Argentine official in hot water over pigeon meat idea

A provincial official in Argentina was suspended Wednesday over his proposal that low-income children be fed pigeon meat to counteract a surge in the bird population.

Oscar De Allende, an official at the local environment ministry responsible for wildlife, was suspended over his "controversial statements on pigeon consumption," Cordoba Governor Jose Manuel de la Sota said in a statement.

Earlier this week De Allende proposed that Paicor, a government program for distributing food and clothing to poor students, serve pigeon meat at public schools.

"We estimate we have 600 million (pigeons) in Cordoba," De Allende told a local radio station.

"Let's consider that pigeons are an abundant resource, not a pest. We are working with the people of Paicor to start a project" that will turn pigeons into food.

Cordoba's Cabinet Chief Oscar Gonzalez called the initiative "nonsense" and insisted there are no plans for such a program.

AFP