Residents in B.C. Clash with Ostrich Farm Over Avian Flu Culling

Residents living near the Universal Ostrich Farm (UOF) in Edgewood, British Columbia, are expressing growing frustration as the farm fights against a mandated avian flu culling order. Community members report feeling neglected by their elected officials during a tumultuous eight-month period since the order was issued after positive avian flu tests were confirmed on the farm.

The culling was initially ordered in December 2022, when 69 ostriches died and nearly 400 survived. UOF has since been engaged in a legal battle to save the remaining birds, asserting that their flock is healthy. “We have had no illness and no deaths on our farm for 223 days. They are thriving. Our herd of ostriches is a living vault of immunity,” stated Katie Pasitney, the farm’s spokesperson, during a recent press conference.

Despite assurances from UOF, local residents are concerned about the potential risk to their own livestock. Cattle farmers Jim and Millie McFarlane, who reside in a secondary quarantine zone, voiced their anxiety regarding the impact on their cattle sales. “When fall comes and we ship our cattle to market, is that going to be a factor in the price that we get for our cattle?” Millie questioned.

Pasitney dismissed these concerns, asserting that linking the cull to cattle price fluctuations is misleading. She emphasized that the farm’s fight is about protecting the ostriches, not about affecting the livestock market.

Residents also expressed dissatisfaction with the response from their elected officials. Conservative MP for Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee, Scott Anderson, issued a statement on August 21, 2023, following the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the cull order. Anderson expressed disappointment with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), criticizing its refusal to engage with experts or consider alternatives to mass culls. However, he noted that he has received mixed feedback from constituents, with some supporting the CFIA’s actions.

Randy Donselaar, a local resident, accused Anderson of failing to represent the community’s interests. “He is not representing the voice of our community, the voice of the people, at the podium in Ottawa,” Donselaar remarked.

The ongoing situation has drawn attention beyond Canada, with U.S. television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz offering to relocate the ostriches to his ranch in Florida. Oz has called on the Canadian government to intervene and save the birds, a move that has unsettled some local residents. “It really bothers me that the Americans are involved,” said Kelley Soroka, a nearby resident.

The issue has escalated into a political debate, with local residents asserting that the conversation has shifted away from the welfare of the birds to broader concerns about governmental authority. “It’s become very political, and the birds are just a non-issue right now,” noted Debra Pion, a long-term resident.

In response to the controversy, Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, supported the CFIA’s decision, suggesting that the offer from Dr. Oz undermines public health regulations. “There has really been a full-scale attack on American public health practices, and this is an extension of that,” Rasmussen stated.

Pasitney reiterated the farm’s position, claiming that the prolonged battle is not related to any ongoing health risks. “Our ostriches have been healthy the entire time. The real concern is that the CFIA continues to refuse to test the birds, even after so many months with no illness or deaths,” she explained.

The CFIA maintains that despite the apparent health of the ostriches, there remains a risk of the birds carrying and spreading the avian flu virus. The agency warns that the situation could lead to mutations that increase the virus’s infectivity toward mammals.

Following the Federal Appeal Court’s order on August 21, 2023, the CFIA has the authority to destroy the herd at any time, leaving the future of both the farm and the local community in uncertainty.