About 30,000 farmed ducks were killed using firefighting foam as part of the Victorian government’s effort to contain bird flu, a method Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell has condemned as “nothing short of barbaric”.
The state’s agriculture minister, Ros Spence, confirmed Agriculture Victoria used Phos-Chek, a class-A foam, while responding to a highly contagious strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, which emerged earlier this year at several poultry farms.
“Foaming is approved for use in biosecurity emergencies and was deployed to ensure a rapid and humane method of depopulation,” Spence said in response to a parliamentary question from Purcell.
Phos-Check is used globally as an alternative to other firefighting foams that contain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are known to have harmful enivornmental effects.
Spence said Phos-Check was “PFAS-free” and “approved for use in biosecurity emergencies” to ensure a “rapid and humane method of depopulation”.
“Approximately 30,000 ducks were humanely depopulated, and the method chosen was based on site-specific factors such as the layout of the facility. The foam is designed to minimise the stress and suffering of the birds during the process,” she said.
Spence said animal welfare officers oversaw the process. But she did not answer Purcell’s supplementary question on whether animal welfare and environmental affects were considered before the foam was used.
Firefighting foam, or wet foam, was approved in Australia in 2010 for culling floor-raised poultry, though it is not the preferred method of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).
Dr Melanie Latter, the AVA’s head of policy and veterinary science, said the foam either suffocates the birds or drowns them if it has too much water content.
“Either way, the inability to breathe, and the associated rise in CO2 in the blood stream, is a fundamentally stressful experience for any animal, as the physiological response is to fight hard to breathe before losing consciousness,” Latter said.
She said there were particular concerns with using foam on ducks due to their diving reflex, which allows them to hold their breath underwater and slows their heart rate.
“This has been reported to prolong their times to death,” Latter said.
Purcell said the use of foam is an “abhorrent and prolonged slaughter method,” especially for ducks, describing it as “nothing short of barbaric”.
“As [ducks] see the foam come out and spread, their response is to hold their breath – something that other birds can’t do,” she said.
“Instead of inhaling the deadly chemicals, they are actually dying in a slow agonising manner from heatstroke or organ failure by holding their breath while being buried alive under the foam.”
Purcell said she was concerned authorities may be using foam due to a CO2 shortage. However, Latter said it was used because there were no other methods available in Australia that could quickly and efficiently cull birds with minimal contact.
In Europe and Canada, she said birds are culled with inert gases, such as nitrogen, which are considered “most humane”, as they render the animals unconscious before killing them.
“We strongly encourage the Australian government to investigate this and invest in this technology,” Latter said.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA also called for further research to develop more humane methods of managing biosecurity outbreaks, as well as preventive measures such as vaccination.
“The RSPCA is opposed to all inhumane methods of killing. Animals should either be killed instantly or rendered insensible until death ensues, without pain, suffering or distress,” they said.
There have been no further cases of bird flu in Victoria since 24 June, after an outbreak at eight poultry farms earlier this year. On Thursday, Agriculture Victoria lifted some measures around the Terang area, though a control order remains in place in Meredith.
Victoria’s chief veterinary officer, Dr Graeme Cooke, said efforts to contain bird flu were “nearing its conclusion” and that it had been the state’s “longest running biosecurity response”.
A Victorian government spokesperson said more than 1.3m chickens and ducks have been culled as part of the response.
They said the state government was “undertaking enhanced preparedness planning” for future outbreaks and the Commonwealth was conducting a tender process for the supply of CO2 for use during larger bird flu emergency responses.
According to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s annual report 2023/24, tabled in parliament last week, the government spent $7.83m on emergency contracts to manage the outbreak, including 20 contracts worth $100,000 or more for poultry destruction, site cleaning and decontamination, and personal protective equipment.
