Spain’s Balearic Islands banned matadors from killing bulls in the ring
Spain’s Balearic Islands on Monday banned matadors from killing bulls in the ring, becoming one of several Spanish regions to move towards criminalising the centuries-old blood sport.
The bill adopted in the Balearics parliament prohibits a bull’s death in the ring and makes it illegal for the animals to endure physical or psychological damage. Bullfights will be limited to a maximum of 10 minutes, a parliament spokesman said.
Traditionally, every bullfight in Spain involves six of the specially-bred animals pitted against matadors for 20-30 minutes. At that point, matadors try to drive a sword between the bulls’ shoulder blades and through the heart.
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Under the new rules in the Balearics, the bull will be submitted for a medical checkup after the fight and then returned to the ranch from where it was raised.
The bill was introduced by Spain’s centre-left Socialist party (PSOE), the far-left Podemos party and other, smaller regional parties. While the ruling conservative People’s Party (PP) and market-friendly Ciudadanos voted against it, they lacked the seats to block the bill.
The Balearic Islands are the second Spanish region where bullfighting is currently restricted. The Canary Islands passed a law in 1991 to protect bulls, including a clause against animal abuse in bullfights or local fiestas.
The northeastern region of Catalonia also passed a bill to ban all bullfighting outright in 2010. But the Constitutional court overruled the law last October, calling bullfighting a cultural asset protected under national law.
Held all over Spain, “la fiesta nacional” – as bullfights are known – is deeply embedded in the country’s culture. But there is a growing animal rights protest movement calling for a full ban, rallying outside places like Madrid’s emblematic Las Ventas bullring during fighting season.
Photo source: pixabay.com
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