In Puglia there is growing concern about the spread of the monk parakeet, known as the “green parrot”, now present in various rural and urban areas. According to agricultural organisations, including Coldiretti Puglia and CIA Puglia, the species has reached levels of expansion such as to cause increasingly significant damage to crops. Farmers in particular report serious losses in almond orchards, which represent one of the symbolic supply chains of the region, and in cherry, fig, peach and apricot orchards. The birds feed on the ripening fruits, but also on the shoots, compromising production already in the initial stages. According to estimates reported by the associations, the province of Bari is among the most affected, with a significant impact on a sector that has over 19 thousand hectares of almond cultivation. Reports also speak of indirect damage, such as the destruction of irrigation systems and agricultural equipment.
The request of the agricultural sector: rapid containment
A clear request comes from the agricultural world: intervene with rapid and effective tools to limit the proliferation of the species. The associations speak of a phenomenon also linked to the tropicalization of the climate, which would have favored the adaptation of the monk parakeet. Over time, the initial nuclei reported in Molfetta expanded to include numerous municipalities on the coast and inland, creating stable and highly reproductive colonies. Coldiretti underlines that the emergency does not only concern green parrots, but a broader picture of rapidly increasing wildlife, which includes starlings, wild boars and other species considered problematic for agriculture.
The Region’s plan: UniBa and new guidelines
To respond to the emergency, the Puglia Region approved an agreement with the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, with the aim of monitoring and managing the invasive species. The plan provides guidelines for the management of nurseries and control activities in critical cases. Measures include scientific monitoring, training of operators and protocols for colony management.
The species has been classified as an invasive alien and for this reason it is possible to carry out permitted interventions in cases of risk to agriculture, infrastructure and safety. And here come the painful, or rather chilling, notes. According to the plan, the nests can be physically dismantled, with targeted interventions in high-density areas. In the cases foreseen, more invasive actions on the management of the colonies are also envisaged, entrusted to trained and authorized operators. Among other things, there is talk of destroyed eggs and nestlings subjected to euthanasia even with the help of hunters. A brutal scenario towards living beings.
A management that divides: between environmental protection and intervention method
And so, alongside the pressure from the agricultural sector, the debate on the methods of intervention is growing with the dismaying nature of the plan. The chosen approach favors direct and rapid containment, based on the physical reduction of colonies, rather than on strategies of coexistence or non-bloody prevention. An emergency management in which the response to the environmental problem translates into interventions with a strong impact on animals without considering alternative methods.
The principle that should guide any intervention is clear: animals cannot be treated as a problem to be eliminated, even when they cause significant economic damage. The management of invasive species must remain within a framework of biodiversity protection and methods that are as cruel as possible. The monk parakeet, in fact, is now part of a complex urban ecosystem, also the result of years of adaptation to climates and environments modified by man. Intervening on this reality requires balance and respect for nature, not just urgency.
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