Latest news with #ostrichcull
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Hundreds of doomed ostriches find unlikely ally in RFK Jr
The Canadian government ordered the culling of 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia after they were exposed to bird flu. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has intervened, urging Canada not to cull the birds but to study them for scientific knowledge. A legal battle is underway, with a federal appeals court pausing the cull order to review arguments from the farm owners who want to keep the ostriches alive for research. RFK Jr., supported by Mehmet Oz and John Catsimatidis, has written to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to press for a change in the culling policy. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency maintains that its 'stamping-out' policy is necessary to prevent the spread and mutation of the avian flu virus, despite arguments from the farm owners that the policy is overly strict.
CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Federal Court of Appeal reserves decision on B.C. ostrich cull case
The Federal Court of Appeal reserved its decision on the B.C. ostrich cull case. This comes after Universal Ostrich in Edgewood, B.C., was ordered to cull over 400 birds after highly pathogenesis avian flu was detected on the farm last December.
CTV News
23-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Judge refuses to allow more avian flu tests on ostriches at B.C. farm
An ostrich is seen at the Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Hundreds of supporters flocked to the farm over the Victoria Day long weekend to protest the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's order to cull about 400 ostriches. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Hemens OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal is refusing to allow the owners of a British Columbia ostrich farm to conduct further testing of their flock for avian flu in a bid to avert a cull ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The same ruling that was issued on Friday but only published online on Monday grants a temporary stay of the cull until a ruling on an appeal that will be held no later than the week of July 21. It says Universal Ostrich Farms has satisfied all three tests required for a temporary stay on the cull of about 400 birds at the farm in Edgewood, B.C., that has become the focus of protests and international attention. The farm had also been seeking an order permitting it to conduct diagnostic tests on the birds and to suspend any directives from the food inspection agency prohibiting such tests, but Judge Sylvie Roussel denied both requests without explanation. Dozens of ostriches died at the farm in December and January amid an outbreak of avian flu, and the food inspection agency says all birds in the flock must be culled under its 'stamping out' policy. Roussel says the farm would have faced irreparable harm if the stay were not granted, and the balance of convenience favours granting the pause. Supporters of the farm have been camped at the property for weeks to prevent the cull, while U.S. authorities including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have called for the birds to be spared for their potential scientific value. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025.
Globe and Mail
31-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
B.C. ostriches set for cull have avian flu infection not seen elsewhere in Canada, agency says
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency plans to move ahead with a plan to cull ostriches in British Columbia, citing the birds have a genetic composition of avian influenza associated with a human infection in Ohio. The CFIA said in a statement released late Friday evening its National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease identified the current infection in the ostriches with a 'novel reassortment' not otherwise seen in Canada. 'This assortment includes the D1.3 genotype, which has been associated with a human infection in a poultry worker in Ohio,' the agency said. 'A human case of H5N1 in BC earlier this year required critical care, and an extended hospital stay for the patient, and there have been a number of human cases in the United States, including a fatality.' Ostriches that live at the Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, a remote community in B.C., are now the subject of international attention, including from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services who takes issue with the CFIA's plans to kill the nearly 400 birds. The ostriches have also garnered other forms of support in the U.S., such as from billionaire John Catsimatidis and Dr. Oz, an American TV physician who now runs medicare in U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Dr. Oz offered to provide sanctuary to the birds at his Florida ranch but the farm owners would like to keep the birds in Canada. Last December, an outbreak began at the farm that killed 69 ostriches. In January, the CFIA said the rest of the flock would be 'depopulated.' This spring, the farm has challenged the agency in court. Earlier this month, the Federal Court determined the CFIA acted reasonably in its cull decision. The farm's owners filed an appeal this week. B.C. owners of ostriches condemned because of avian flu outbreak seek new legal challenge The CFIA said Friday that after the court made its ruling on May 13, farm owners and supporters have made an 'apparent attempt to prevent the CFIA from carrying out its operations at the infected premises.' It also says this has delayed a timely and appropriate response to the premises infected with the avian influenza, resulting in 'ongoing risks to animals and humans.' 'Given that the flock has had multiple laboratory-confirmed cases of H5N1 and the ongoing serious risks for animal and human health, and trade, the CFIA continues planning for humane depopulation with veterinary oversight at the infected premises,' it said. The agency also said Universal Ostrich Farm has not co-operated with requirements set out under the federal Health of Animals Act. It claims that it failed to report initial cases of illness and deaths to the CFIA and it did not adhere to quarantine orders. The farm was issued two notices of violations with a penalty totaling $20,000, the agency said. The farm has not yet responded to the CFIA's statement. On Thursday, Katie Pasitney, a spokesperson for the farm who is the daughter of an owner, told The Globe and Mail about 50 supporters have gathered at the site daily who are rallying to save the animals. A convoy of supporters plan to travel to the farm site this weekend, she added. Supporters who made visits to the farm this week include a 13-year-old teenager from Fraser Valley, B.C., and her parents. She was diagnosed with Canada's first domestically acquired case of avian flu in November, although it is still not known how she caught the virus. The teen was discharged from BC Children's Hospital in early January after fighting for her life. Her visit to the farm was the first time she made a public appearance since becoming ill.
CBC
24-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Protesters join B.C. ostrich farmers to fight order to cull flock
Demonstrators are gathering at Universal Ostrich farm in Edgewood, B.C., to protest a federal order to cull a flock of nearly 400 after two ostriches tested positive for avian flu in December. The farm lost a court challenge against the cull order last week.
