Nowhere in CSSA’s mandate will you find the word “Ostrich” yet we find ourselves defending a flock of 400 Ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, British Columbia, from an unjust government kill order.^[i]

“CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) expected us to walk out and kill every one of our 400 birds ourselves, with our own hands,” said ​ Karen Espersen, co-owner of Universal Ostrich Farms. “If we refused, they’d bring in a third-party execution team. This is not science—it’s cruelty wrapped in red tape.”​

“They are not stamping out a virus. They are stamping out natural immunity. They don’t want people to realize that survival is possible,”​ said Katie Pasitney, Karen Esperson’s daughter.

The CFIA doesn’t have the resources to slaughter and dispose of 400 ostriches, so they want hunters to kill these majestic birds for them.

An internal CFIA discussion leaked to Universal Ostrich Farms posed the question, “Can we get hunters to kill these birds for us?”

CFIA’s desire to ask third parties to kill 400 ostriches on CFIA’s behalf is corroborated by their appeal of the emergency injunction stopping the slaughter. CFIA asserts that the injunction applies only to the owners of Universal Ostrich Farms, and not to CFIA or agents acting on its behalf.^[ii]

No, CFIA, we will not do your dirty work for you.

Hunters are ethical men and women who humanely harvest wildlife to feed their families. They are not contract killers for government agencies.

CFIA has no evidence that the 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms are sick. CFIA performed PCR tests on two dead birds after 16 hours – not by conducting an autopsy or taking tissue samples, the “gold standard” in testing – and used PCR tests to rationalize killing this entire flock of majestic birds.

The ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms are not used for human consumption. They are research birds, crucial to a groundbreaking collaboration with Japan’s Kyoto Prefectural University, where the university’s president, Dr. Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, has successfully extracted antibodies from the birds’ eggs in an effort to create a vaccination against avian flu.^[iii]

A Warning To Anyone Considering Killing Ostriches on CFIA’s Behalf

This is not a fight that any regular citizen wants to get involved with. 

There are serious criminal penalties for injuring, endangering or killing animals or birds, as well as for discharging firearms where that activity is prohibited.

• Criminal Code section 445.1 (1) deals with injuring or endangering animals.^[iv]
  • Every one commits an offence who
• wilfully causes or, being the owner, wilfully permits to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal or a bird;
• [deleted]
• wilfully, without reasonable excuse, administers a poisonous or an injurious drug or substance to a domestic animal or bird or an animal or a bird wild by nature that is kept in captivity or, being the owner of such an animal or a bird, wilfully permits a poisonous or an injurious drug or substance to be administered to it;

• British Columbia’s hunting regulations state 
  • It’s unlawful to hunt or discharge a firearm within 100 metres of a church, school building, school yard, playground, regional district park, dwelling house, or farm or ranch building that is occupied by persons or domestic animals.^[v]
  • It is also unlawful to discharge a firearm across or to discharge a firearm or hunt within the road allowances of any two lane public road in B.C.^[vi]

CSSA denounces CFIA’s belief it can turn ethical hunters into “government contract killers”.

CSSA also call on our friends at the National Firearms Association and Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights to join us in denouncing the CFIA’s actions in this case.

Beyond The Headline

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered the owners of Universal Ostrich Farms to kill their entire herd of 400 ostriches.

“We asked if we could independently test our birds, and they said no,” explained Karen Espersen, co-owner of Universal Ostrich Farms. “We asked if we could quarantine. They said no. We asked if we could vaccinate. They said no. They don’t want solutions, they want a cull.”

CFIA opposed independent testing so vehemently that they threatened Universal Ostrich Farms with penalties of 6 months in jail and/or a $200,000 fine for each independent test.

That’s not the actions of a government agency seeking the truth. Those are the actions of a government agency intent on killing an entire flock of ostriches even if those birds are 100% healthy.

“Saving the ostriches has united the ethical scientific community and the concerned voices of people across the globe. These big, beautiful birds have shifted the conversation on science and are now bringing truth to it,” Kari Simpson says.

• To learn more about this case and how you can help stop the slaughter of 400 ostriches, go to https://SaveOurOstriches.com
• Download the Timeline of Events here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/CSSA/PDF/Ostrich/Universal-Ostrich-Farms-Detailed-Timeline-of-Events.pdf

IN DETAIL: Why the Cull Order is Unjustified and Problematic

1. Lack of Proper Testing and Scientific Rigor

• The only evidence CFIA used to justify the cull was two positive throat swabs from already dead birds​.
• Gold standard testing for Avian Influenza requires tissue sampling and full necropsies—neither of which were conducted.
• The farm experienced Pseudomonas infections in 2020, which present similar symptoms to Avian Influenza​.
• Without proper tissue tests, the CFIA cannot conclusively determine that H5N1 caused the ostrich deaths.

2. Ostriches Had Developed Natural Immunity

• The farm initially suffered some deaths, but the remaining ostriches recovered​.
• Scientific research from Kyoto Prefectural University in Japan shows ostriches can generate antibodies against various diseases, including COVID-19​.
• If the herd developed natural immunity, these birds could hold valuable genetic insights for disease resistance.
• Destroying a naturally immune flock is counterproductive to scientific advancements in avian disease mitigation.

3. CFIA’s “Stamping Out” Policy is Outdated and Harmful

• CFIA follows a “stamping out” policy, which requires culling all birds on infected premises.
• CFIA’s “stamping out” policy cannot prevent infected wild bird populations, like mallard ducks, from infecting farm birds like ostriches, chickens, and turkeys.
• The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) allows alternative strategies, such as controlled quarantine and vaccination​.
• Many other countries have opted for vaccination programs instead of mass culling.

4. Economic and Ethical Devastation

• Universal Ostrich Farms is a 25-year-old business with a unique genetic breeding program​.
• Destroying the flock would result in irreversible genetic loss, damaging future research and breeding efforts.
• The cull order violates basic animal welfare principles, as the ostriches are healthy and show no signs of illness.
• The public backlash against this order is enormous, with thousands supporting the farm’s legal battle​.

5. Legal and Political Overreach

• The Canadian government is prioritizing trade relationships over ethical animal management.
• The Premises ID Program and traceability laws grant excessive power to the government over private livestock ownership​.
• CFIA’s inconsistent application of regulations (e.g., revoking “distinct unit” status without explanation) raises serious concerns about due process​.

5. Government is Wrong to Order the Cull

1. Scientific failure – CFIA did not conduct proper necropsies before ordering mass slaughter.
2. Natural immunity ignored – The herd likely developed resistance to the disease, which is scientifically valuable.
3. Alternative solutions exist – Countries like France and Japan use vaccinations instead of mass culling.
4. Devastating economic impact – The farm will be permanently destroyed if the cull proceeds.
5. Legal overreach – CFIA’s decision violates the principles of fair administrative action.

This case is a prime example of government overreach, bad science, and bureaucratic negligence. Instead of executing a flawed mass cull, CFIA should adopt modern disease management strategies and respect farmers’ rights.

^[i] https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/CSSA/PDF/Ostrich/Cull-Order-Dec-31-2024.pdf

^[ii] https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/CSSA/PDF/Ostrich/UOF-v-CFIA—T-294-25—Order-Final-311.pdf

^[iii] https://www.rebelnews.com/save_the_ostriches

^[iv] https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-445.1.html

^[v] https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and-culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/hunting/regulations/hunting-trapping-synopsis.pdf, Page 12

^[vi] ibid