'There are professionals in Canada that have different solutions where all of the animals won't need to be slaughtered,' says protester

According to information sent to media by the Farmers Protest Convoy organizers ahead of the convoy, the protest was organized so ordinary folks could “stand up with us against the abuse of power by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and (the) use of the stamping-out policy to manage avian flu.”

At the heart of the issue is the recent killing of more than 300 ostriches on the Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., a cull that was ordered by the CFIA last New Year’s Eve.

According to numerous news reports, the CFIA ordered the cull of the birds after avian flu was detected in the flock last December and killed 70 of the birds.