Destroying nests and even killing chicks and killing adult monk parakeets, commonly known as green parrots. This is the scenario envisaged by the recent controversial guidelines approved by the Puglia Region to contain the population of these birds which damage agricultural crops, in particular orchards. The provision last May triggered a harsh reaction from the animal rights world, primarily from LAV. The association has in fact notified a formal warning to the President of the Region requesting the immediate suspension of the resolution, deemed illegitimate, without scientific basis and in conflict with the legislation on the protection of animals.
According to LAV, Resolution no. 577 of 12 May 2026 would authorize exclusively cruel interventions, without having first evaluated ecological and non-lethal methods, leading to the destruction of nests and the killing of chicks and adults of a species which, underlines the association, is not included in either the European or national list of invasive alien species.
The tough position of the LAV
In the warning sent to the Region, the Anti Vivisection League claims that the provision presents numerous aspects of illegitimacy, both from a legal point of view and from a technical-scientific point of view. The first issue concerns precisely the classification of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus). According to the association, the species does not appear in the official lists of invasive alien species of the European Union or in the national ones, therefore making the regulatory references used by the Region to justify the interventions inappropriate.
LAV also questions the reasons given in the resolution. The alleged invasions of the species, the damage to agricultural crops, the hygienic-sanitary risks and the dangers to public safety referred to in the document, the association claims, are not supported by monitoring, objective data or scientific studies capable of demonstrating their real extent.
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Another less bloody way is possible
One of the most contested aspects concerns the choice of measures envisaged. According to the LAV, the guidelines focus directly on lethal interventions, such as the destruction of nests and the killing of nestlings and adults, without providing for the priority use of ecological and non-cruelous systems, as should instead happen in the management of fauna.
The association also expresses concern about the possibility, foreseen by the provision, that private owners can also proceed with the removal of the nests independently. A choice which, according to the LAV, could entail the risk of accidentally damaging other protected species and encouraging practices that do not comply with the rules on animal welfare and the correct disposal of biological materials.
LAV: “Provision without scientific basis”
“The provision appears illegitimate, devoid of scientific basis and in conflict with the legislation on animal protection. The management of fauna must always be based on scientific data, on compliance with current regulations and on the priority use of non-cruel methods” declared Sara Leone, head of the LAV office in Bari.
In the warning, the association also refers to articles 544-bis and 544-ter of the Criminal Code, which respectively punish the unnecessary killing and mistreatment of animals. According to LAV, if the resolution is not suspended, criminal liability could arise, which is why the association says it is ready to evaluate further legal action.
Behind the invasion of green parrots there is the hand of man
The monk parakeet is a species native to South America which in recent decades has also spread steadily to several Italian cities (including Rome), favored above all by the escapes or releases of specimens bred as pets. The large community nests built in trees and, sometimes, on poles and pylons, have fueled the debate over the years on the possible impacts of the species on agricultural crops, biodiversity and infrastructure.
It is precisely on this point that the conflict between the Region and animal rights associations is focused today. While Puglia deems it necessary to intervene to contain the presence of parakeets, LAV maintains that any measure must be based on solid scientific evidence, respect current legislation and always favor non-lethal solutions, resorting to culling only as a last resort and in the cases expressly provided for by law.
