The proprietors of an ostrich farm in British Columbia are under pressure to vacate the premises on Tuesday or risk being apprehended by law enforcement, as captured in videos filmed at the location. RCMP were summoned to assist the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in executing a search warrant at the Edgewood, B.C., farm on Monday. The owners of Universal Ostrich Farms have been contesting a cull order issued due to an avian flu outbreak that resulted in the death of 69 ostriches.
In a video shared on Facebook by Katie Pasitney, whose mother co-owns the farm, an individual identified as an “RCMP” member warns Pasitney of potential arrest if she fails to comply with the instruction to vacate the property. The footage, shot from inside the ostrich pen, shows CFIA officials and multiple police officers on the opposite side of the wire fence.
Another video posted by Pasitney features a man claiming to be a CFIA inspector informing the farmers that they could stay in the birds’ pen overnight on Monday. However, he asserts that the CFIA has assumed control of the property and warns of “consequences” if the farmers do not leave voluntarily by the end of Tuesday.
Supporters of the farm present at the site on Monday expressed their dissent towards the officers, with one individual urging the police to show compassion and highlighting that global attention is on the situation. Rod Giffen, a local resident supporting the farm, criticized the decision to cull the birds without conducting tests to ascertain their virus status and recommended a visit to the ostrich farm for its unique features.
The farmers have taken legal action to safeguard approximately 400 surviving ostriches, arguing that the birds are now healthy and of scientific importance. Conversely, the CFIA maintains that the ostriches were infected with a highly lethal strain of the avian flu virus. The federal agency has stated in court filings that their protocols do not allow for further testing due to uncertainties regarding immunity duration in ostriches and the potential for infection persistence in the environment.
Despite the ongoing dispute, the farmers continue to advocate for testing to assess the birds’ health status. Pasitney informed the media that the farmers’ legal representative was in the process of submitting paperwork to elevate the case to the Supreme Court of Canada.