Workers gather ducks to be culled in Latrille, France, last month. Photo: Reuters

The French government on Tuesday ordered the slaughter of 360,000 ducks in a bird flu-hit southwest region at the forefront of the foie gras industry. The cull will effectively wipe out production of foie gras in the Landes area that accounts for a quarter of the total French production of the controversial delicacy made from the livers of force-fed ducks and geese.