U.S. health authorities, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have expressed concerns about a potential Canadian decision to cull hundreds of ostriches in rural British Columbia and are urging the government to explore alternative solutions.
The controversy dates back to last winter when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency ordered a full cull of hundreds of ostriches located at Universal Ostrich Farms just outside of Edgewood, British Columbia after two birds tested positive for avian flu. At that time, the CFIA argued the cull was necessary to prevent avian flu from mutating and spreading. The two principal farm owners, Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski, contested the directive, citing low mortality rates and signs of natural immunity within the flock.
On May 23, U.S. federal health officials, including Secretary Kennedy, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, sent a letter to the CFIA urging reconsideration of the culling plan.
Collectively, this group of high ranking U.S. health authority officials also re-emphasized the potential scientific value of the ostriches, citing their possible immunity to H5N1 and the importance of preserving them for research.
“While we understand the importance of preventing the spread of H5N1, we believe the decision to cull the entire flock of approximately 400 ostriches-made nearly six months after the initial positive test results will not influence the current health status of the surviving birds.”
“Further, because avian influenza has been around for thousands of years and is endemic in wild bird populations in the United States and Canada, efforts to extirpate it by culling birds will be fruitless,” the letter continued.
The CFIA, meanwhile, maintains the ostriches must be classified as “poultry” and are thereby subject to standard disease control measures — including culling during “outbreaks” — to prevent the spread of avian influenza. The agency’s lawyer, Paul Saunders, emphasized the public health risks associated with the virus, including potential human transmission.
“There is a risk of human transmission. There is a risk of illness and death,” Saunders said on behalf of the CFIA.
Even though there was a plan to kill the ostriches because of bird flu worries, Universal Ostrich Farms is working with scientists from other countries. They want to study the special biology of the ostriches, like if they might be able to fight off the virus.
In addition their work advancing scientific research into avian flu, according to court documents, the ostrich farm had also “diversified its business portfolio to encompass operations in selling breeding stock, raising birds for slaughter, processing limited amounts of meat, offering agri-tourism tours, and, in recent years, focusing on extracting immunoglobulin Y from ostrich eggs for use in human-virus diagnostics.”
The farm argued, with independent evidence provided to the Federal Court, that the birds were no longer infected with the flu, and additionally, that culling the entire flock would eliminate valuable genetic stock and hinder ongoing scientific research.
Back in January, the courts had temporarily halted CFIA’s directive to cull the approximately 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood in light of the farm owners’ ongoing legal challenge.
However, the recent ruling by the Federal Court on May 13 reaffirmed and upheld the CFIA’s decision to proceed with the culling. The court’s decision in dismissing both motions was unequivocal.
At the heart of the matter, the judge determined, is that the court can’t consider evidence that wasn’t available when the CFIA’s initial decisions were made.
The presiding judge over the matter, Federal Court Justice Russel Zinn, argued that the court “would be faulting decision-makers for lacking a crystal ball.”
In response, the controversy has now attracted international attention.
Adding to the drama, dozens of protesters, journalists, social media influencers, and other interested observers have begun camping out at the British Columbia ostrich farm in recent weeks — while mounties are now investigating the suspected shooting of two ostriches on the farm, including a senior ostrich affectionately named “Sarah.”