CFIA says B.C. ostrich cull will go ahead despite regional district refusing to accept the carcasses
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has decided to move forward with a cull of nearly 400 ostriches in southeastern B.C. due to concerns about avian flu. This decision comes despite the local regional district passing a motion earlier in the week stating that they would not accept the birds’ carcasses at local landfills until the CFIA conducts further tests and releases the results to the public.
In response to the CFIA’s decision, the owners of Universal Ostrich Farm, who had been fighting the cull order in court, expressed disappointment and called for the agency to retest the birds. Katie Pasitney, a spokesperson for the farm, emphasized that they pose no public health or safety risk and urged the CFIA to reconsider their decision.
Supporters of the farm have rallied in an effort to save the ostriches, with many making donations to the farm’s legal fund and attending rallies. The farm argues that the surviving birds are healthy and could provide valuable insights into combating the disease. Despite reports of 69 ostriches being killed by avian flu, the farm states that no birds have shown symptoms of the disease since January.
The situation has attracted the attention of B.C. Premier David Eby, who expressed frustration with the CFIA’s decision not to make case-by-case assessments. Since the first outbreak of avian flu in the spring of 2022, over 8.7 million birds have been culled in B.C., mostly on commercial farms.
The cull at Universal Ostrich was initially ordered on December 31, 2024, after the detection of avian flu in several birds. A court injunction allowed both sides to present their case before a federal judge in April, who ultimately ruled in favor of the CFIA, citing the agency’s mandate to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
Despite the CFIA’s decision to proceed with the cull, supporters continue to gather at the farm, hoping to prevent the birds from being euthanized. The farm owners remain hopeful that the CFIA will reconsider their decision and allow the ostriches to remain on the property.
