Supreme Court ofโฃ Canada Temporarily Halts Ostrich Slaughter, Orders Agency โฃCustody
British Columbia – โIn a dramatic turn of events,โข the Supreme Court of Canada has intervened in the โcase of a โคBritish Columbia ostrich farm, temporarily halting the Canadian Food Inspection agency’s (CFIA) order to โslaughter approximately 400 ostriches. The court will review the owners’ request for an appeal โand, if granted,โฃ will consider the merits of theirโค case, according to Radio-Canada.
The legal battleโ began after โฃan avian flu outbreak resulted in the death of 69โข birds on the farm.โข Despite the owners’ claims that theโ remaining โคostriches were inโ good health โand had โachieved collective immunity, the CFIA initially โreceived the green light fromโ the Federal court inโ May to proceed with the cull.โฃ this decision sparkedโ widespread protest, โincluding aโฃ music festival organized by โsupporters and an appeal from U.S. Minister of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,who suggestedโข the birds “Could be useful for studyโ purposes.”
The dispute highlights a broader debateโ over Canada’s response to the โH5N1 virus in poultry.โค The Tyee reports that current policy โขdictates infected commercial poultry mustโ be culledโ with farms receiving financial compensationโฃ for restocking.โค However, the magazine points out inconsistencies, noting that thousands of infectedโฃ dairy cows in the United States – โsome transmitting the virus to humansโ – wereโ not subject to the same order. The Tyee โขalso notes that “The H5N1 virus โis not a chronicโ disease. In animals as in humans,the flu is eliminating by itself in โa few days.”
Tensions escalated on September 22nd, with protests leading โฃto reported โcases of harassment and death threats against employees of companies contracted by the CFIA. One owner of Universal Ostrich and his โฃdaughter were briefly arrested โขafter being asked by police to leave the farm and subsequentlyโฃ prompting supporters to target local businesses.
While the Supreme Court’sโ decisionโข provides a temporary reprieve, the โcourt has also ordered the CFIA to “ensure custody of birds” pendingโค the outcome of the appeal process. theโ Toronto Starโ provides aโค timeline of โฃthe ongoing fight to save the ostrichโ flock. CBCโ News reportsโข on the escalating tensions and harassment complaints stemming from theโข dispute.
