The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has concluded its active operations at a British Columbia ostrich farm where a professional team culled the flock due to an avian flu outbreak. The agency confirmed that they disposed of 314 ostrich carcasses, eggs, and other materials through deep burial at a landfill in BC.
The Universal Ostrich Farms site near Edgewood, BC, remains under quarantine, with restricted access requiring permission due to biocontainment measures. The CFIA outlined a standardized process for premises infected with highly pathogenic avian flu to resume operations, which includes approved cleaning and disinfection procedures before lifting quarantine restrictions.
The farm has been provided with documentation detailing the necessary requirements, with a potential fallow period under CFIA oversight following the cleaning process. Despite resistance from the farm representatives, including a failed appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada after more than 10 months, they have not yet responded to comment requests.
Katie Pasitney, a farm co-owner’s daughter, criticized the culling method as inhumane, describing the overwhelming gunfire during the operation. The CFIA defended the use of professional marksmen as the most suitable and humane approach after consulting with disease outbreak management experts for ostriches.
The agency confirmed that personal protective equipment was only mandatory within specific quarantine zones and not required outside those areas during the operation. Equipment and individuals entering hot zones were thoroughly disinfected, with all gear disinfected when leaving the designated zones.
While workers in protective suits were visible during the cull, concerns were raised about the lack of protective gear for RCMP officers and others outside the enclosure. The CFIA stated that any compensation claims for the flock loss would be reviewed according to regulations, emphasizing early disease reporting and cooperation in eradication efforts.
The CFIA’s regulations define the parameters for potential compensation to align with the Health of Animals Act. The objective is to incentivize prompt disease reporting and owner cooperation in disease control measures.