A tense standoff continues at a British Columbia ostrich farm in the midst of a legal battle over government-ordered mass slaughter of the birds. With the Supreme Court ruling still weeks away, another arrest has been made on the spot.
On Friday, October 17, social media personality Jim Kerr was arrested after allegedly crossing the quarantine line at a general purpose ostrich farm in Edgewood, British Columbia, which remains under a search warrant from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
RCMP say Kerr was taken into custody under Animal Health Law for obstructing federal agents. Kerr identified himself in social media posts.
He was later released on the condition that he not return to the property.
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The arrest was the latest development in a months-long standoff between the farm's owners and the CFIA.
In December 2024, the agency ordered a mass culling of farmed ostriches following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) that killed 69 birds.
Tests confirmed the presence of the virus in two dead ostriches.
Farm owners are fighting the culling and raising awareness of the hot topic, arguing that the remaining birds show no signs of disease and should be tested individually rather than destroyed.
The CFIA says even healthy-looking birds can carry and spread the disease, including possible new mutations.
The Supreme Court of Canada has temporarily halted 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 until October 30.
If the court refuses to consider it, the moratorium will be lifted and the selection can continue. If leave to appeal is granted, a longer trial will follow.
This is not the first arrest at the farm. On September 23, two more were detained for obstructing CFIA officers.
While the fate of the ostriches remains unresolved, the outcome of the case could set a precedent for combating animal disease outbreaks on farms across Canada.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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