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1h ago

CFIA Begins B.C. Ostrich Cull After Supreme Court Rejects Farm’s Final Appeal

The regulator says depopulation is required under avian-flu protocol to eliminate a potential reservoir after last winter’s H5N1 detection.

Ostriches are seen at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C., on May 17.
Signs protesting the cull line the fences that surround the farm.
Police vehicles are pictured at the Universal Ostrich Farms property in Edgewood, B.C., this morning.
The Supreme Court of Canada decision is expected at 6:45 a.m. PT.

Overview

  • Canada’s Supreme Court declined to hear Universal Ostrich Farms’ case on Thursday, lifting the last legal barrier to a federally ordered cull.
  • The CFIA said it would proceed with “complete depopulation,” and overnight operations began with ostriches herded into a hay-bale enclosure as gunshots were heard.
  • RCMP restricted access to the Edgewood, B.C., property, where floodlights and barriers limited visibility of the cull as officers turned people away from the road.
  • The cull order was first issued Dec. 31, 2024, after H5N1 was detected and about 69 birds died; the agency took custody of the flock in September, when two farm leaders were arrested after refusing to leave a pen.
  • Farm owners and supporters argue the surviving birds are healthy and scientifically valuable, drawing backing from figures including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz, while the CFIA warns apparently healthy ostriches can still shed the virus and has cautioned that obstructing officials is a criminal offence.