The Animal Justice Party (AJP) is extremely concerned by the mass cull following New Zealand’s first confirmed outbreak of bird flu at an Otago egg farm. The devastating outbreak exposes the brutal reality hidden behind industrial farming practices and the sanitised language used to dismiss the scale of the wholesale slaughter.
AJP is therefore demanding the media to reject the term ‘depopulation’ – a clinical euphemism deliberately designed to distance the public from the true horror and scale of mass killing of sentient beings. AJP is urging the Ministry for Primary Industries to critically examine their current policy of mass killing, mainly carbon dioxide gassing, which is a horrifically cruel process that can cause head shaking, gasping, and convulsions and transforms living, feeling beings into disposable statistics.
“Let’s call this what it is – systematic, terrifying mass murder,” says Danette Wereta, Animal Justice Party spokesperson. “These 80,000 chickens are not just numbers or statistics. They’re living beings with the capacity to suffer. Their whole existence has been reduced to production units and now their final moments will be filled with terror.”
“This outbreak isn’t just about bird flu – it’s about a broken system that treats living, feeling beings as disposable commodities,” Wereta added.
While AJP understands the critical need to contain the virus, they argue that this outbreak could have been entirely prevented if we didn’t force birds into cramped, unnatural factory farming conditions. Industrial farming creates perfect conditions for disease transmission. Cramped, stressed birds packed together become breeding grounds for potentially devastating viruses. This isn’t just about one outbreak – it’s a systemic failure that puts both animal and human health at risk.
The AJP calls for immediate action: comprehensive vaccination strategies, reduced farming densities, transparent reporting and legal recognition of animal welfare. These are not radical demands, but necessary steps towards a more ethical, sustainable future. The solution lies in a fundamental reimagining of our agricultural systems, moving beyond industrial farming towards more ethical and sustainable practices. “We can evolve beyond this,” Wereta insists. “The choice is ours. We can prevent these outbreaks, save lives and create a food system that respects life instead of destroying it.
“This outbreak is a wake-up call. Will Aotearoa New Zealand choose compassion or continue this cycle of violence? The time for change is now. Consider supporting AJP’s ongoing efforts to protect animals by joining or donating.