That was put to an end with a Supreme Court of Canada decision against killing ostriches with avian influenza. This ruling allows the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to pursue its very controversial “stamping out” policy. This decision reflects their hearing that concern and responding to increasing public pressure. Public figures including presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have highlighted the potential benefits of studying the virus through these animals.
In response, the CFIA moved to try and stop future avian flu outbreaks. Under their new policy, they culled exposed or infected animals. On an ostrich farm in Edgewood, British Columbia, the agency mandated the culling of close to 330 birds. Shockingly high statistics have led to this decision. British Columbia has been hard hit, with well over 11 million birds impacted by the province’s outbreak, and it is the province with the most cases reported in all of Canada.
Katie Pasitney, a spokesperson for Universal Ostrich Farms, said the company was upset at the need to cull. She characterized the operation as “traumatizing,” and focused on the dehumanizing stance that the federal agency took during the process.
“There’s nothing professional or humane about putting almost 330 birds in a square pen in the dark of night and shooting at them,” – Katie Pasitney
CFIA officials are calling on demonstrators to cease their disruption of agency operations. As such, they cautioned that use of drones to fly over the culling site is illegal. The agency goes on to clearly reject each argument, asserting that no evidence exists that the ostrich would model important diseases. Universal Ostrich Farms makes a number of claims to the contrary, but the agency doubles down.
As of the end of October, Alberta, which borders British Columbia, has an estimated 2 million birds affected by avian influenza. The complete Canadian poultry industry, worth almost $7 billion, will likely not recover from the continuing and serious effects this outbreak is having. The CFIA is in constant communications with the Canadian public and industry stakeholders while fighting this outbreak, adhering to its standard operating procedures for health emergencies.
“As part of its disease response policy, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has culled the ostrich population on a farm in Edgewood, British Columbia,” – The CFIA
The ongoing outbreak has caused deep concerns not just about animal welfare, but about the potential economic impact on show the rest of the industry. Public health officials are urging immediate action to mitigate the spread of this virus. Their position has strong historical precedent, given what we know from previous similar outbreaks.
