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2w ago

CFIA Uses Marksmen to Cull B.C. Ostrich Flock After Supreme Court Ends Final Appeal

The agency says the depopulation followed its stamping‑out policy to curb H5N1 risks to public health, trade and the poultry sector.

Dave Bilinski, the co-owner of Universal Ostrich Farms, participates in a group prayer in Edgewood, British Columbia on Thursday.
A CFIA employee in a hazmat suit interacts with ostriches near a cull enclosure located by the Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C., after the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the farm’s appeal against an order to cull more than 300 of its ostriches on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Hemens
CFIA employees in hazmat suits interact with ostriches near a cull enclosure located by the Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C., after the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the farm’s appeal against an order to cull more than 300 of its ostriches on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Hemens
© H. Zell via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

  • Canada’s Supreme Court on Thursday declined to hear Universal Ostrich Farms’ case, lifting the stay and clearing the way for the cull.
  • CFIA confirmed Friday it carried out a complete depopulation using professional marksmen, with reporters hearing multiple rounds of gunfire Thursday night.
  • RCMP restricted access to the Edgewood property during the operation and warned supporters not to interfere or fly drones over the site.
  • The owners maintain the surviving 300–330 birds were healthy, had ‘herd immunity’ and research value, claims the CFIA disputes as unsubstantiated and risky for disease spread.
  • The cull follows a December 2024 H5N1 detection that killed about 69 birds and drew international attention, including letters from U.S. officials Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz.