A tense standoff continues at a British Columbia ostrich farm in the midst of a legal battle over a government-ordered mass cull of the birds, with a Supreme Court decision still weeks away and another arrest made on site.
On Friday, Oct. 17, social media personality Jim Kerr was arrested after allegedly crossing a quarantine line at Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., which remains under a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) search warrant.
RCMP say Kerr was taken into custody under the Health of Animals Act for obstructing federal agents. Kerr identified himself in social media posts.
He was later released on the condition he not return to the property.
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The arrest marks the latest development in the months-long standoff between the farm’s owners and the CFIA.
The agency ordered a mass cull of the farm’s ostriches in December 2024 following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) that went on to kill 69 birds.
Tests confirmed the virus in two deceased ostriches.
The farm’s owners have been fighting the cull and raising awareness in the hot topic, arguing the remaining birds show no signs of illness and should be individually tested rather than destroyed.
The CFIA maintains that even healthy-looking birds can carry and spread the disease, including possible new mutations.
The Supreme Court of Canada issued a temporary stay on the cull and is now deciding whether to hear the farm’s appeal.
However, a final decision on whether the case will proceed is not expected before Oct. 30.
If the court declines to hear it, the stay will be lifted and the cull may proceed. If leave to appeal is granted, a longer legal process will follow.
This is not the first arrest at the farm. On Sept. 23, two others were detained for obstructing CFIA officers.
While the fate of the ostriches remains undecided, the outcome of the case could set a precedent for how animal disease outbreaks are handled on farms across Canada.
– With files from Canadian Press
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