The fate of about 400 ostriches on a B.C. farm has become a hot political issue on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
Billionaire U.S. philanthropist and animal rights advocate John Catsimatidis and Katie Pasitney, daughter of the co-owner and spokesperson for the Universal Ostrich Farm, held a press conference on Thursday afternoon to once again ask for the birds to be re-tested for avian flu.
“All I’m asking for (is) the Supreme Court of Canada to do the common-sense solution,” Catsimatidis said. “Allow the FDA to test the animals.”
He added that if Canada doesn’t want the ostriches, it should allow U.S. government official Dr. Mehmet Oz to take them to the United States, a solution that has been floated before.
Pasitney said she would like to see Canadian leaders step up and support the ostriches.
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was asked about the issue and said it is another example of “total Liberal incompetence.”
“They mismanaged this from the very beginning and now they’ve left Canadians and confused farmers baffled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” he added.
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Catsimatidis said he and another person are paying for the farm’s legal defence, having spent about US$35,000 so far.
Tensions between protesters and the Canadian authorities over a cull order at the farm momentarily broke last week, after the Supreme Court halted the killing of hundreds of birds that became infected with avian flu, as it weighed whether to hear the case to spare them.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) plans to euthanize more than 300 ostriches after members of the flock tested positive for the disease in December. The agency has faced increasing pushback from the farm and its supporters.
Culling of infected birds is standard practice and in line with the World Organization for Animal Health.
In a May federal court ruling, a judge found that allowing the birds to remain alive could lead to the spread of avian influenza to other animals, the poultry industry or humans.
Moreover, the CFIA says “the application of the stamping out policy for this farm has been upheld by the Federal Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal and is supported by scientific evidence.”
The stamping out policy is a measure implemented by the World Organization for Animal Health. It mandates that all animals in a flock be killed if avian flu is present in even one bird.
-with files from Rachel Goodman
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