OTTAWA - The Green Party of Canada has grave concerns about the federal government’s readiness to face the threat posed by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), following a media report that exposed serious gaps in biosecurity, the inhumane treatment of sick animals who were “depopulated,” and a lack of public health preparedness.
A recent report by CTV National News and the Investigative Journalism Foundation exposed the inadequate response from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and the use of inhumane euthanasia methods during depopulation efforts. While more than $100 million in taxpayer dollars was shelled out as compensation during the period in 2022 outlined in the media story, the federal government has little to show for it. In many cases large corporations were paid huge sums of money with no ask for additional biosecurity enhancements or preventive measures in return.
Two years later, there is a complete absence of federal biosecurity laws or enhanced industry measures, which has left the door wide open for a resurgence of HPAI. Currently there are dozens of farms with infected flocks in British Columbia and a teen in the province was left in critical condition after exposure to HPAI, marking Canada’s first reported human case of the illness.
Also, as described in the media report, the CFIA relied heavily on contractors to carry out the killings, who violated biosecurity protocols. The agency also experimented with untested euthanasia methods that led to prolonged suffering, including suffocating birds with foam. This shows a glaring need for regulated standards for depopulation methods, and greater transparency about the process.
“This outbreak was a wake-up call for Canada to take meaningful action, and it’s gone unheeded. The federal government needs to immediately prioritize biosecurity measures, transparency, and accountability in its avian flu response. The risk is too great to simply react and recklessly improvise,” said Leader Elizabeth May. “It’s also time for the federal government to ask harder questions about public health risks posed by the unchecked proliferation of large-scale factory farms.”
#####
For more information or to arrange an interview :
Fabrice Lachance Nové
Press secretary
514-463-0021