Catalonia bans bullfighting

Under the banner "Torture is not culture", the Spanish province of Catalonia has banned bullfighting.

In 67-59 vote, the Catalonian Parliament voted to end bullfighting under an animal law prohibiting torture. Friday's motion still needs a final vote by the regional government next year before the ban can become law. Activists hope that this will be the first to an eventual country-wide ban.

The vote follows an intense campaign with more than 250,000 people signing a petition to ban bullfighting and also follows a similar ban more than 20 years ago by the Canary Islands, a group of islands off the African coast belonging to Spain. There are also some 50 towns throughout Spain which have declared themselves "bullfighting free."

Many people in Spain believe that bullfighting is part of the heritage and tradition of the country. However, one need remember that gladiator fights were part of the tradition and heritage of ancient Rome, as was the sacrifice of new borns in more ancient traditions.

Some 5,500 bulls are killed in bullrings each year throughout Spain. The first bullfight reportedly took place in 771 A.D. to celebrate the crowning of King Alfonso VIII. The "sport" was originally the exclusive privilege of the aristocracy. For a while, King Felipe V banned the Spanish aristocracy from participating believing it to be a bad example for the public.

In a bullfight, the bull is captured from a breeder's pasture at the age of approximately 3. It is transported to the arena where it is kept overnight. It is doubtful that the animal is properly fed and/or watered during this time. One at a time, they are let into the arena where for a few minutes the matador (a term which translates into "killer") will joust with the bull with the use of a large cape. At the sound of horns, "picadores" on horseback enter the arena and take turns lancing the neck of the bull to make it bleed profusely and thereby weaken it. Banderilleros then take turns to plant 4 sets of "banderillas" (i.e., spears with a 6-inch barb at their end) into the neck of the bull. After several more minutes of the matador jousting with the bull, he plunges a sword into the bull hoping to hit the heart. More often than not, the matador misses, several arteries are cut and the bull bleeds to death, often seeking the support of the walls surrounding the arena before expiring its last breath. Often, too, the matador's sword will plunge into the bull's lungs, in which case the bulls drowns in its own blood. Most of the time, the matador or the matador's helper will try to sever the bull's spinal cord at the base of the skull as a "coup de grace." The bull is then dragged around the arena and taken outside to be butchered. If the matador was "brave" he may be given one or both of the bull's ears and its tail. The next bull then comes in to succumb to the same torture. On any given summer weekend, 6 bulls are thus killed in the arena one at a time. Often, locals will bring food and wine, or cold beer, to the arena and will consume it during the "intermission", which takes place after the 3rd bull (sort of baseball's 7th inning stretch).

Bullfighting is heavily subsidized by the Spanish government, from bullfighting schools to promotion and marketing schemes, as well as the purchase of bulls for local "fiestas." It is estimated that some 530M Euros (about $700MM) of taxpayer money is destined for the bullfighting industry. Yet, a 2006 Gallup poll showed that just over 7% of Spaniards consider themselves bullfighting fans and that 82% of Spaniards between 15 and 24 years of age are not interested in bullfighting at all. Most experts believe that the "tradition" is kept alive by the numerous curious tourists looking for some titillation.