Gunfire echoed across a British Columbia ostrich farm Thursday night as federal inspectors started culling over 300 birds. CTV
Tension and heartbreak filled the air near Edgewood, B.C., on Thursday night as gunshots echoed through the darkness at Universal Ostrich Farms. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) began the long-delayed cull of hundreds of ostriches after a court ruling cleared the way for the operation.
The sound of gunfire came from within an enclosure built from hay bales, where CFIA workers had gathered the birds. Along the roadside, several farm supporters shouted in anger and despair. Cries of “Stop!” and “Murderers!” cut through the night as shots rang out. Some people wept openly, others pleaded with officials to spare the animals.
Court ruling clears final obstacle
The cull followed the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision earlier that day to dismiss a final appeal from the farm’s owners, removing the last legal barrier to the destruction of the flock. The CFIA confirmed it would move forward with the “complete depopulation and disposal” of roughly 300 to 330 ostriches.
The conflict began in December 2023, when one ostrich tested positive for avian influenza. The CFIA ordered the cull just 41 minutes after receiving the result. The outbreak killed about 70 birds at the time, but the agency maintained that the rest of the flock still posed a risk of spreading the virus.
The owners — Karen Espersen and her daughter Katie Pasitney — fought the order for more than 10 months, arguing that the surviving ostriches were healthy and had developed immunity.
Supporters protest and mourn the loss
Throughout the day, supporters gathered along the highway overlooking the farm. Many held signs and prayed for what they called a “miracle Thursday.” As the cull began, some hugged and cried while others yelled at CFIA workers in white biohazard suits rounding up the birds.
“Run, pretty birds!” Pasitney shouted through tears. “You’re murdering healthy animals that have survived 35 years on this planet.”
She called the event devastating for her family and vowed to continue fighting for farmers’ rights. “This isn’t the Canada we want,” she said. “We’ll make sure this never happens again.”
Co-owner Dave Bilinski told the crowd the CFIA ignored science. “Those birds have the strongest antibodies out there,” he said. “There’s no justice left.”
CFIA defends its decision
The CFIA said it followed all court orders and expected others to do the same. It warned supporters not to interfere, noting that obstruction could lead to fines of up to $250,000 or two years in jail.
The agency said its “stamping-out” policy — which requires full culls of infected flocks — protects human and animal health and safeguards Canada’s $6.8-billion poultry industry.
B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham called it a “very difficult situation” and expressed sympathy for farmers affected by avian flu outbreaks across the province.
End of a long fight
By nightfall, CFIA workers set up floodlights around the pen and continued their grim task. Supporters watched helplessly from the road as the cull proceeded.
For the farm’s owners, it marked the end of a battle they fought for nearly a year — and the loss of the animals they raised for 35 years.
