Humane society says avian flu cull method is inhumane

Carbon dioxide gassing causes bird to suffer before death

VANCOUVER, Dec. 19, 2014 /CNW/ - The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to find a more humane way of culling poultry affected by the avian flu outbreak in the Fraser Valley.  The CFIA currently uses carbon dioxide gas to kill the birds, a method shown to be inhumane in scientific studies, according to VHS.

"A number of studies have found that carbon dioxide gas causes the birds to suffer before they die," said VHS director Debra Probert.  "There is significant scientific opinion indicating that poultry experience difficulty breathing and respiratory distress when gassed with carbon dioxide."

Dr. Ian Duncan, Canada's world renowned poultry expert, has stated that gassing poultry with carbon dioxide is "anything but humane."

Probert said the CFIA should investigate the use of gas mixtures for culls during disease outbreaks.  The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), for example, recommends using inert gases such as argon or nitrogen or a mixture with no more than 30% carbon dioxide. 

SOURCE: Vancouver Humane Society

Debra Probert, 604 266 9744, Cell: 778 994 9744; Peter Fricker, 604 266 9744, Cell: 604 603 5401