Three MLAs are supporting a B.C. farming family whose 400 ostriches are to be culled

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 09, 2025 1:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

A subordinate of an ostrich farming household held backmost tears Thursday arsenic she called connected the provincial authorities to assistance halt the cull of their 400 birds. 

Katie Pasitney, spokesperson for Universal Ostrich Farm owned by her parents, said she is hopeful that her gathering with provincial officials, including B.C.'s Agriculture Minister Lana Popham, volition pb to changes that would prevention the birds due to the fact that of their imaginable value to the poultry industry. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency ordered their cull successful precocious 2024 aft an avian flu outbreak, but a Federal Court granted them a enactment of execution successful precocious January pending a judicial review. 

The household and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency present await a ruling from a Federal Court justice connected the destiny of the animals. A determination is expected to travel aboriginal adjacent week. 

Pasitney said the animals surviving connected her parents' workplace successful Edgewood, B.C., are "healthy" and "happy" present and airs nary risk. She said the birds could lend to the combat against avian flu due to the fact that they person developed herd immunity.

Watch: Ostrich cull paused

"They are a surviving probe laboratory," she said earlier gathering with Popham. 

Pasitney said aft the gathering with the curate that she remains hopeful that her plea to prevention the birds connected the ground of their imaginable publication to probe volition wage off. 

She said the provincial officials made nary commitments. 

"They listened … and they are going to sorb each the information," she said. 

Pasitney said the birds are her family's livelihood and having to termination them would beryllium catastrophic. 

"Some of these animals person personalities," she said, speaking with reporters earlier her gathering with the minister.

Watch: B.C. ostrich workplace faces cull 

Pasitney has been receiving enactment from 3 Independents members of the legislature, and Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong adjacent visually underscored their enactment by holding up ostrich eggs during a quality league with reporters.

Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy acknowledged that the national authorities volition determine the destiny of the birds, but said the provincial authorities tin assistance unafraid a enactment of execution by lobbying for an exemption from the culling rules. 

"I deliberation you person to look astatine each avenue to advocate, and close now, erstwhile it came to trying to scope retired and interaction the (inspection agency), I had difficulties," Kealy said. 

The destiny of the birds had besides came up successful the legislature erstwhile Kealy introduced Pasitney arsenic a typical of the farm, which helium described arsenic an "innovative and research-driven operation" that has spent the past 3 twelvemonth processing practices based connected antibodies to support against diseases and viruses, including H5N1. 

"This workplace is not utilized for nutrient depletion and purely research-based," helium said. 

Responding to questions from Kealy, Popham said avian influenza tin person a dense affectional and economical toll, but besides pointed to its dangers. 

"If it mutates into a wide quality illness, the impacts would beryllium catastrophic," she said. "That is the discourse for wherefore … CFIA is taking the steps they take." 

More than 8.7 cardinal birds person been culled successful B.C. astatine 236 farms, astir of them commercial, since the archetypal outbreak of a highly contagious signifier of the avian flu broke retired successful the outpouring of 2022.