Latest news with #culling
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr wants Canada to pardon 400 ostriches
The Canadian government ordered 400 ostriches to be culled after they were exposed to bird flu, but U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to save the flock. Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia was ordered to cull the flightless birds after avian flu was detected last December, CBC reported. A month later, 69 birds died. A court battle has ensued, with the farm owners arguing the ostriches should be kept alive to be studied for potential treatments. Although the court rejected the initial argument, the federal appeals court last month paused the order as it reviewed the matter; the court heard arguments in the case this week. Amid the legal challenges the birds have found an unlikely ally to the south: RFK Jr. 'The Secretary has urged Canada not to kill the ostriches but to do further testing to try to better understand the virus,' a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told Politico. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to save 400 Canadian ostriches from being culled (REUTERS) The health secretary wrote a letter to the president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in May, urging the agency not to go through with plans to eradicate the flock and instead test the birds' antibodies: 'We believe significant scientific knowledge may be garnered from following the ostriches in a controlled environment at the Universal Ostrich Farm.' The cull was ordered as part of a so-called 'stamping-out' policy, used to mitigate the risk of the virus spreading to humans or animals, according to the agency. A screengrab from a video capturing two ostriches resting at the Universal Ostrich Farm, where the Canadian government has ordered for 400 birds to be culled due to avian flu exposure (Katie Pasitney / Facebook) 'Allowing a domestic poultry flock known to be exposed to [bird flu] to remain alive means a potential source of the virus persists. It increases the risk of reassortment or mutation of the virus, particularly with birds raised in open pasture where there is ongoing exposure to wildlife,' the agency explained in a May release after the federal court dismissed the farm owners' applications for judicial review. This week, Kennedy — along with Trump's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz and billionaire John Catsimatidis — sent letters to Prime Minister Mark Carney pressing his government to alter its policy, Politico reported. Hundreds of birds remain symptom-free months after 69 birds died after being exposed to bird flu, according to the farm owners' lawyer (Katie Pasitney) According to CBC, Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, thanked the trio for their efforts, saying on Tuesday: "I guess we'll just see where that goes from here because we do know that Dr. Oz and RFK are very passionate about this, just as well as John Catsimatidis." In court on Tuesday, Umar Sheikh, a lawyer for the farm owners, similarly argued that the government's policy was too strict, noting that hundreds of ostriches still exhibit no symptoms of avian flu. Only two birds tested positive for the virus before the cull was ordered, he said. "We would ask questions such as why 100 percent destruction needs to occur based on 0.5 percent confirmed infection?" Sheikh asked the court, according to CBC. Aileen Jones, a lawyer for the agency, argued that the court has already determined the 'stamping-out policy is a reasonable policy,' the outlet reported.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
RFK Jr wants Canada to pardon 400 ostriches
The Canadian government ordered 400 ostriches to be culled after they were exposed to bird flu, but U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to save the flock. Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia was ordered to cull the flightless birds after avian flu was detected last December, CBC reported. A month later, 69 birds died. A court battle has ensued, with the farm owners arguing the ostriches should be kept alive to be studied for potential treatments. Although the court rejected the initial argument, the federal appeals court last month paused the order as it reviewed the matter; the court heard arguments in the case this week. Amid the legal challenges the birds have found an unlikely ally to the south: RFK Jr. 'The Secretary has urged Canada not to kill the ostriches but to do further testing to try to better understand the virus,' a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told Politico. The health secretary wrote a letter to the president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in May, urging the agency not to go through with plans to eradicate the flock and instead test the birds' antibodies: 'We believe significant scientific knowledge may be garnered from following the ostriches in a controlled environment at the Universal Ostrich Farm.' The cull was ordered as part of a so-called 'stamping-out' policy, used to mitigate the risk of the virus spreading to humans or animals, according to the agency. 'Allowing a domestic poultry flock known to be exposed to [bird flu] to remain alive means a potential source of the virus persists. It increases the risk of reassortment or mutation of the virus, particularly with birds raised in open pasture where there is ongoing exposure to wildlife,' the agency explained in a May release after the federal court dismissed the farm owners' applications for judicial review. This week, Kennedy — along with Trump's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz and billionaire John Catsimatidis — sent letters to Prime Minister Mark Carney pressing his government to alter its policy, Politico reported. According to CBC, Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, thanked the trio for their efforts, saying on Tuesday: "I guess we'll just see where that goes from here because we do know that Dr. Oz and RFK are very passionate about this, just as well as John Catsimatidis." In court on Tuesday, Umar Sheikh, a lawyer for the farm owners, similarly argued that the government's policy was too strict, noting that hundreds of ostriches still exhibit no symptoms of avian flu. Only two birds tested positive for the virus before the cull was ordered, he said. "We would ask questions such as why 100 percent destruction needs to occur based on 0.5 percent confirmed infection?" Sheikh asked the court, according to CBC. Aileen Jones, a lawyer for the agency, argued that the court has already determined the 'stamping-out policy is a reasonable policy,' the outlet reported.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Federal Court of Appeal to hear arguments in B.C. ostrich farm avian flu case
An ostrich stands near a warning sign for avian influenza at the Universal Ostrich Farms 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 B.C. ostrich farmers who lost dozens of birds in an outbreak of avian flu last winter will be heading to the Federal Court of Appeal on Tuesday as they try to stop the remainder of their herd from being culled. Universal Ostrich Farm near Edgewood, B.C., was ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to cull approximately 400 birds after an outbreak of the highly contagious avian flu was discovered on the farm in December. The CFIA maintains a 'stamping out' policy, which includes the destruction of animals and the disinfection of the premises, as defined by the World Organization of Animal Health. The CFIA says it is a critical part of maintaining not only animal and human health but also Canada's status as a reliable international trading partner. In a statement posted to its website in late May, the agency said 'all avian influenza viruses, particularly H5 and H7 viruses, have the potential to infect mammals, including humans.' It noted that the birds on the B.C. farm were infected with a 'novel reassortment' of the virus that had not been seen anywhere else in Canada. The CFIA said keeping the herd alive 'increases the risk of reassortment or mutation of the virus, particularly with birds raised in open pasture where there is ongoing exposure to wildlife.' Universal Ostrich Farm is owned by Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski. A website dedicated to their fight against the CFIA says they've been raising ostriches for more than 30 years. The pair says destruction of the herd would force them to shut down the farming operation altogether. Until 2020, the birds were raised for meat. In recent years the ostriches have been part of a research project in collaboration with Dr. Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, president of Kyoto Prefectural University in Japan who is also known as Dr. Ostrich. Tsukamoto's research focuses on the antibodies in ostrich egg yolk that can block infectious diseases. The outbreak last winter killed 69 of the 468 ostriches, the farm's website says, and an anonymous tipster reported the farm to the CFIA. The agency ordered the remaining ostriches to be culled by Feb. 1. The farm applied for an exemption for animals with rare genetics because of the research project, but the CFIA denied that application on Jan. 10. The agency said it was not provided documentation, including active research trial logs or detailed research protocols, and said the location is not suitable for controlled trials or research. The farm then sought a judicial review, and was granted a stay of the cull order in the meantime. The CFIA has imposed 19 quarantine measures on the farm, according to the farm's website. It has also issued $20,000 in penalties for failing to report the outbreak and for failing to adhere to quarantine orders. The CFIA said in a statement the farm's actions 'reflect a disregard for regulatory compliance and animal health standards.' Supporters spent several weeks camped out at the property in the early spring and have vowed to fight the CFIA's order. Over the weekend the farm hosted an event it billed as 'Farm Aid Canada,' with a range of musical performers playing over three days. They included Tamara Lich, an organizer of the 'Freedom Convoy' protest that brought downtown Ottawa to a standstill in early 2022, who was convicted in April of mischief for her role in the demonstration. The farm's owners said online that the event was a way to fundraise for the legal fees and travel costs of getting to Ottawa for Tuesday's hearing. The case has garnered international attention, including from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz. The farm's owners declined Dr. Oz's offer to relocate the herd to his own Florida property. Kennedy wrote a public letter to the CFIA's president, Paul MacKinnon, arguing there was significant value in studying the birds' immune response to the virus. Universal Ostrich Farm applied to the Federal Court for a judicial review of the CFIA's order to cull the herd, and the court dismissed both applications on May 13. The judge ruled that the agency's decision to order the cull was reasonable and procedurally fair, and noted that it is not up to the courts to resolve scientific disputes. The Federal Court of Appeal denied the farm's request for independent testing on June 20, and ordered an expedited appeal. The hearing is scheduled for one day. This report by Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press, was first published July 14, 2025.
E&E News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Macron plans law to kill more French wolves
BRUSSELS — French President Emmanuel Macron says a new law may be required to allow more wild wolves to be shot in France, taking advantage of looser EU protections of the predators. 'We're not going to let the wolf develop and go into [areas] where it competes with our activities,' Macron said during a trip to Aveyron on Thursday, referring to wolf attacks on farmers' livestock. 'And so that means that we must, as we say modestly, cull more of them.' He said that people 'who invent rules and who don't live with their animals in places where there are bears or wolves should go and spend two nights there.' Advertisement Reports of wolf attacks on livestock in France have risen over the past decade and a half, with more than 10,000 reported annual deaths in recent years.
CTV News
21-06-2025
- CTV News
Ostrich farm granted stay of cull
A flock of nearly 400 ostriches in B.C. that gained international fame after they were ordered to be culled have been given a stay of execution.
