{"id":155389,"date":"2025-05-27T19:09:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T19:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/05\/27\/bc-ostrich-cull-appealed-again-cfia-stands-by-order-despite-us-call-for-halt\/"},"modified":"2025-05-27T19:09:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T19:09:00","slug":"bc-ostrich-cull-appealed-again-cfia-stands-by-order-despite-us-call-for-halt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/05\/27\/bc-ostrich-cull-appealed-again-cfia-stands-by-order-despite-us-call-for-halt\/","title":{"rendered":"B.C. ostrich cull appealed again, CFIA stands by order despite U.S. call for halt"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the small town B.C. farmer to United States' Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, the flock of those calling for a stop to the ordered killing of nearly 400 ostriches are growing daily.<\/p>\n

Universal Ostrich, a farm in Edgewood, B.C., has been making headlines since January 2025 when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered the cull of the entire flock of birds.<\/p>\n

The order is part of the CFIA's stamping out policy when an avian influenza outbreak is declared at a farm.<\/p>\n

"Canada’s response has aimed to protect human and animal health and minimize impacts on the $6.8 billion domestic poultry industry and Canada’s economy," the agency told The Morning Star May 27. "This supports Canadian families and poultry farmers whose livelihoods depend on maintaining international market access."<\/p>\n

The CFIA declared an H5N1 outbreak at Universal Ostrich on Dec. 31, 2024 and issued the cull order on Jan. 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

The farm has been fighting the order since, challenging the decision in federal court in April, which was turned down May 13. Justice Richard Zinn upheld CFIA's decision, but the farm is again back in the courts and filed an appeal May 26.<\/p>\n

"Which is fantastic but we are not safe," said Katie Pasitney, whose mom Karen Esperson and partner Dave Bilinski co-own Universal Ostrich.<\/p>\n

Pasitney is the spokesperson for the farm and explains that since the "outbreak," a total of 69 ostriches died in the initial weeks but the flock has since developed herd immunity. Universal Ostrich wants to work with the CFIA to use the antibodies the ostriches have developed to protect others.<\/p>\n

"It's all about saving our farmers, saving our food," said Pasitney. "Let's revamp these policies, let's bring science forward."<\/p>\n

The farm has been flooded with support from hundreds of other farmers, animal activists and Indigenous peoples who have camped out at the farm in recent days and weeks. Many politicians, both locally, provincially and in the U.S., are showing support, even Dr. Mehmet Oz.<\/p>\n