Latest news with #UniversalOstrichFarm
Vancouver Sun
5 hours ago
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. ostrich farm facing cull ponders moving birds to U.S. as 'last resort'
The family that operates the B.C. ostrich farm facing a federal cull says it may look into the process of moving the birds to the United States as a 'last resort.' Katie Pasitney, whose parents own Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood says the family is also urging the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to consider the proposals by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to save the ostriches for research rather than culling them. Pasitney, who was speaking in a video on Facebook Live, says her family is aware that U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has offered to relocate the birds to Florida. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. She says the family is open to starting the process of testing the birds to see if relocation is possible 'as a last resort.' The CFIA website says exporting livestock animals requires certification from the agency 'to ensure that only healthy animals and animal products and byproducts meeting the import health requirements of an importing country are exported from Canada.' The ostrich farm suffered an avian flu outbreak earlier, and the CFIA said in its statement Friday that culling the surviving animals is necessary because the mutation of the virus seen at the farm is one not seen elsewhere in Canada.
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Family that operates B.C. ostrich farm pushes back against CFIA claims
Supporters of Universal Ostrich Farms stand near ostriches at the farm's property in Edgewood, B.C., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Hundreds of supporters flocked to the farm over the Victoria Day long weekend to protest the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's order to cull 400 ostriches. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Hemens The family that operates an ostrich farm in British Columbia's interior is pushing back on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which is poised to cull around 400 birds at the farm due to avian flu. Katie Pasitney, whose parents own Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., said during Facebook Live stream event Saturday night that the ordered cull is based on misinformation. The agency said on Friday the avian flu infection present at the farm is a mutation not seen anywhere else in Canada. Pasitney said during the livestream the CFIA is exaggerating the human health risks, noting it is not based in sound science. She also said that contrary to what the agency claims, there has not been widespread testing at the farm. While the CFIA has fined the farm $20,000, Pasitney said more information will be coming on Monday about what is happening at the farm and what has been shared with the federal agency. This report by David Boles, The Canadian Press, was first published June 1, 2025.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Family that operates B.C. ostrich farm pushes back against CFIA claims
The family that operates an ostrich farm in British Columbia's interior is pushing back on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency., which is poised to cull around 400 birds at the farm due to avian flu. Katie Pasitney, whose parents own Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., said during Facebook Live stream event Saturday night that the ordered cull is based on misinformation. The agency said on Friday the avian flu infection present at the farm is a mutation not seen anywhere else in Canada. Pasitney said during the livestream the CFIA is exaggerating the human health risks, noting it is not based in sound science. She also said that contrary to what the agency claims, there has not been widespread testing at the farm. While the CFIA has fined the farm $20,000, Pasitney said more information will be coming on Monday about what is happening at the farm and what has been shared with the federal agency. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025. David Boles, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
B.C. ostrich farm facing $20,000 fine over failure to quarantine, cull birds: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says that an ostrich farm is facing a $20,000 fine over failure to quarantine and cull its birds. In a statement released May 30, the agency said Universal Ostrich Farm has failed to follow federal regulations, including not reporting the initial cases of illness and death at their farm, and failing to adhere to quarantine orders. "Universal Ostrich Farm was issued two notices of violations with penalty, totaling $20,000," the statement says, though it does not say when the fines were issued. The in-depth statement provides more details about the CFIA's inspection of the farm dating back to December 2024 and comes as U.S. officials, including health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, have weighed in on the case, urging Canadian officials not to kill the birds. Many of the details in the statement, however, were already shared during a two-day court case undertaken after Universal Ostrich received an injunction staving off the order. This includes the fact that the CFIA learned that ostriches were dying through an anonymous tip, and that the farm did not quarantine its birds during the avian flu outbreak, which killed 69 of the approximately 450 birds on the farm, allowing wild animals and people to freely mingle with infected animals. "The farm also failed to undertake appropriate biosecurity risk mitigation measures such as limiting wild bird access to the ostriches, controlling water flow from the quarantine zone to other parts of the farm, or improving fencing. These actions significantly increase the risk of disease transmission and reflect a disregard for regulatory compliance and animal health standards," the CFIA's statement reads. The statement also says the farm has failed to substantiate its claims that the ostriches are being used for scientific research, stating that the "CFIA has not received any evidence of scientific research being done at the infected premises." The farm has repeatedly claimed that its birds are unique and can be used to develop antibodies to avian flu and COVID-19 but the CFIA says the farm was unable to back up those claims and that "further, the current physical facilities at their location are not suitable for controlled research activities or trials." Universal Ostrich has filed an appeal of the earlier court ruling allowing the cull to move ahead, though that appeal has not yet been accepted. The CFIA says the cull will move ahead, as is necessary to protect public health and Canada's economic agreements with other countries.
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
B.C. ostrich farm facing $20,000 fine over failure to quarantine, cull birds: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says that an ostrich farm is facing a $20,000 fine over failure to quarantine and cull its birds. In a statement released May 30, the agency said Universal Ostrich Farm has failed to follow federal regulations, including not reporting the initial cases of illness and death at their farm, and failing to adhere to quarantine orders. "Universal Ostrich Farm was issued two notices of violations with penalty, totaling $20,000," the statement says, though it does not say when the fines were issued. The in-depth statement provides more details about the CFIA's inspection of the farm dating back to December 2024 and comes as U.S. officials, including health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, have weighed in on the case, urging Canadian officials not to kill the birds. Many of the details in the statement, however, were already shared during a two-day court case undertaken after Universal Ostrich received an injunction staving off the order. This includes the fact that the CFIA learned that ostriches were dying through an anonymous tip, and that the farm did not quarantine its birds during the avian flu outbreak, which killed 69 of the approximately 450 birds on the farm, allowing wild animals and people to freely mingle with infected animals. "The farm also failed to undertake appropriate biosecurity risk mitigation measures such as limiting wild bird access to the ostriches, controlling water flow from the quarantine zone to other parts of the farm, or improving fencing. These actions significantly increase the risk of disease transmission and reflect a disregard for regulatory compliance and animal health standards," the CFIA's statement reads. The statement also says the farm has failed to substantiate its claims that the ostriches are being used for scientific research, stating that the "CFIA has not received any evidence of scientific research being done at the infected premises." The farm has repeatedly claimed that its birds are unique and can be used to develop antibodies to avian flu and COVID-19 but the CFIA says the farm was unable to back up those claims and that "further, the current physical facilities at their location are not suitable for controlled research activities or trials." Universal Ostrich has filed an appeal of the earlier court ruling allowing the cull to move ahead, though that appeal has not yet been accepted.
