Please read the following letter sent by Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich–Gulf Islands and Leader of the Green Party of Canada, to the Minister of Health, the Hon. Mark Holland, regarding the urgent need for intervention to halt the planned Canadian Food Inspection Agency cull of 400 healthy ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, BC on February 1, 2025.
The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
January 31, 2025
Re: Planned CFIA cull of 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, BC
Dear Minister,
I am concerned by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) decision to cull 400 healthy ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, BC scheduled for February 1. This decision will have negative implications for future public health policies surrounding animal culls. I urge you to halt this decision and conduct independent immunity testing on the ostriches before moving forward with the cull to determine if the animals actually pose a risk.
Universal Ostrich Farms operates as a living laboratory, offering opportunity for research into natural immunity and disease control. Along with the clear animal welfare concerns, moving forward with this cull would be counterproductive to sustainable scientific best practices as the ostriches have shown signs of natural herd immunity to H5N1 avian flu. Further, Universal Ostrich Farms will face deeply detrimental impacts from a cull of 400 of their healthy animals.
I urge you to ensure all measures have been taken to prove the need for this cull before moving forward. The lives of these ostriches, the wellbeing of the farm staff, and Canada’s approaches to veterinary practices and public health policies are at risk should this be permitted to proceed without further study.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth May, O.C.
Member of Parliament
Saanich–Gulf Islands
Leader of the Green Party of Canada