Federal authorities disclosed that the total costs incurred from a contentious culling operation at an ostrich farm last year reached nearly $7 million.

Last December, approximately 300 ostriches were culled at Universal Ostrich farm in Edgewood, B.C., following the identification of highly pathogenic avian flu in the flock.

This occurred despite persistent protests from a group of advocates and the appeal from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to save the birds.

A request from Scott Anderson, the Conservative MP representing Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee, which encompasses Edgewood, indicated that the RCMP expended over $3.8 million on policing the operation.

Anderson sought information from various federal agencies, and the written replies were published on the House of Commons website earlier this week.

The information disclosed that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which mandated the culling and whose trained marksmen ultimately euthanized the birds, allocated nearly $1.6 million for the operation.

Of this, more than $166,000 was spent on disposing of the carcasses, with over $150,000 directed towards cybersecurity and office protection measures.

"[Cybersecurity] and office security expenses arose due to threats against Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff nationwide, at numerous [CFIA] offices, through IT systems and direct threats to [CFIA] personnel," the response states.

The majority of the RCMP's costs—exceeding $2 million—was attributed to manpower expenses, according to the information.

Anderson, in a social media update, criticized the expenditures, stating that the CFIA has provided scant justification for its actions apart from "vague assertions" that its eradication policy is advantageous.

"For over $20,000 per bird ... the CFIA disrupted the lives of farmers, the entire surrounding community, and ultimately united thousands of Canadians," the Tory MP wrote.

The CFIA has defended its eradication policy, which stipulates that flocks confirmed with avian flu are culled, citing the risk of virus dissemination and potential mutations that could jeopardize Canada’s food security.

Anderson also condemned the scale of the RCMP presence at the farm—which resulted in the arrest of two protestors—suggesting it involved hundreds of officers.

"While demonstrators gathered around a campfire, millions worth of our national police force were tasked with maintaining order, when they could have focused on apprehending actual criminals," Anderson contended.

According to the Justice Department, the cumulative legal fees associated with the culling amounted to about $1.38 million.

"The services outlined here include litigation and legal support services," the statement notes.

"Department of Justice lawyers, notaries, and paralegals are paid public servants, thus no legal fees are incurred for their involvement."

The birds at Universal Ostrich attracted international scrutiny throughout 2025, as the farm mounted multiple legal challenges to prevent the culling order following the avian flu detection in December 2024.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to consider the farm's appeal after earlier courts determined that the CFIA's directive for the cull was procedurally sound.

Earlier this month, the Agricultural Review Tribunal upheld a $10,000 penalty imposed on the farm for failing to report avian flu symptoms when they first arose in the flock.

The culling of ostriches at the B.C. farm is confirmed completed by the CFIA.