Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Dan Kitwood
Topics: News, World News, Animals, Canada
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: News, World News, Animals, Canada
A Canadian industry has faced some pushback following an order to cull hundreds of ostriches, despite protests from the farmers.
On November 7, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that it had shot dead a few hundred ostriches at a farm in Edgewood, British Columbia, the day before.
It defended this action by stating it was fulfilling a 10-month-old cull order over an outbreak of bird flu.
In a press release, the Canadian government stated: “The premises is still quarantined under the Health of Animals Act. Permission from the CFIA is required to enter property covered by existing search warrants, which includes areas of the farm subject to biocontainment requirements.
Advert
“After consulting with experts experienced in managing ostrich disease outbreaks, the CFIA concluded that the most appropriate and humane option was to use professional marksmen in a controlled on-farm setting. All depopulation activities were completed under CFIA veterinary supervision.”
The CFIA numbered the flock between 300 and 330 birds.
However, this move has reportedly been called ‘unnecessary’ by those who owned the farm.
Owners of the farm have been attempting to fight the order in the courts and have argued that the surviving ostriches had shown no signs of illness and should be spared. They added that the flock was healthy and had ‘herd immunity’, which would therefore make them valuable for scientific research, according to a report by ABC News.
The farmers are eligible for up to CA $3,000 (US $2,136) per ostrich in compensation, according to the CFIA.
The farm’s spokeswoman, Katie Pasitney, has regularly been posting on Facebook arguing against the move and the situation.
After confirming that the birds had been culled, she called on people to send in their prayers and well-wishes.
Sharing her address, she wrote: “Prayers are powerful. I believe in the power of written prayer and intention. If anybody would want to take the time to send us written prayers, that would mean the world's me, that energy is what the world needs right now.
In a separate post, she called for a complete ‘restructure’ of the CFIA and argued that they had shown a lack of empathy.
In the post, it read: “How we've been treated at the end has hurt us to our core, the demonstration of lack of empathy and how they push people at their worst knowing that they've lost everything is so unthinkable.”
“My heart is broken but I will make it my mission to help create a better way.The canadian food inspection agency needs to be redone, there are some who have made mistakes beyond repair.
"This agency needs to be completely restructured, a new vision, a new face and something with meaning an agency that will protect preserve. Heal and treat not just kill.”
UNILAD has contacted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for comment.