The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has joined a growing number of supporters in calling for more testing of nearly 400 ostriches before the entire flock is culled.
On Thursday, the RDCK board unanimously passed a motion not to accept the carcasses of the birds until further testing is done to determine if they are carrying the avian flu virus.
“There has been an incredible amount of public outcry against this,” said Teresa Weatherhead, the regional district’s director for electoral area K.
Weatherhead said that the district has received hundreds of emails in support of the birds and further testing.
“This was the only realm of advocacy we could use to ask for that testing,” Weatherhead said, referring to the motion that had passed.
An outbreak of avian flu on Universal Ostrich farm late last year led to the deaths of 69 ostriches, but the farm’s owners say there has been no sign of illness among the remaining 399 for months.
The outbreak is believed to have come from a flock of ducks that migrated to the farm.
The support has gained even more momentum since Tuesday’s federal court decision in a judicial review, which upholds the cull order by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
About 100 supporters are camping out on the ostrich farm in an effort to stop federal authorities from coming in and destroying the birds.
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Thursday’s regional district motion was unexpected but welcome by Katie Pasitney, the daughter of the farm’s owners.
Pasitney took to social media right after the motion was passed to update supporters.
“This is a win,” said a very emotional Pasitney. “This is a big win for us, because the landfill is acknowledging that they will not accept our healthy, beautiful big birds.”
On Friday, Pasitney told Global News that despite the positive development, they are still facing an uphill battle.
“Our cull order is still on,” she said. “We are working on a stay, an emergency stay and appeal, so we are very actively going after those angles.”
The ostriches are part of an international antibody research program, which ironically is working towards wiping out avian flu.
The CFIA first ordered the cull in December 2024.
It argues its ‘stamping out’ policy is necessary to control the spread of diseases, but has not revealed when the cull may take place.
It would also not comment on the regional district’s motion or whether it would consider more testing before conducting the cull as the CFIA did not respond to Global News’ request for comment on Friday.
While hopeful for more testing, the regional district emphasized that and the cull are out of its control.
“It’s not within our power as a local government to to have power over, obviously, a federal agency,” Weatherhead said.
“We have hope and we have optimism that there can be further testing but we certainly don’t have any power over that.”
The farm owners have stated repeatedly that the birds pose little risk because they don’t fly nor are they used for meat.
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