A vote in Barcelona’s parliament could see Catalans having to travel elsewhere to see their bullfights
ALTHOUGH THE tradition of bullfighting has never been particularly strong in Catalonia – Catalans prefer their football – a vote in the Barcelona parliament could see even those Catalan aficionados having to travel elsewhere to see their fights.
Most of the cities and towns in Catalonia used to have bullrings, although some have been used just once a year during local fiestas.
Today the Monumental Plaza de Toros in Barcelona is the only bullring operating in Catalonia.
Just 16 fights were held there last year, and the stadium was less than half full.
But if today’s vote to ban the bullfight is passed, then even those Catalan aficionados will have to travel elsewhere to see their fights.
It looks likely that the ban will be approved; in a vote last December, 67 people voted for the ban and 59 against. But today the two largest parties have given their 85 deputies a free vote.
Support for bullfighting in Spain has declined over the past few decades, partly because it has become too expensive.
But the anti-bullfighting lobby is still small, and there is some truth in the accusation it is being backed by foreigners such as Leonardo Anselmi, leader of the ILP anti-bullfighting group who is originally from Argentina and is a vegan, or by British comedian Ricky Gervais.
Recently though, the lobby has become more politicised, with those demanding independence equating the proposed ban with their nationalism.
If interest in bullfighting is weak in Catalonia, it is still strong in many other parts of the country and also in France, Portugal and Latin America.
Las Ventas bullring in Madrid staged 350 fights last year, including 23 daily fights during the three-week-long San Isidro fair in which almost all 20,000 seats sold out each day.
I have witnessed almost hysterical crowds cheering bullfighters in Dax – where they run the bulls through the streets, as they do in Pamplona – and in Nimes and Arles, places perhaps better known to the Irish as rugby country.
Love it or hate it, bullfighting is part of Spanish tradition, and thousands of aficionados would mourn the end of an era, while many more would lose their livelihood.
The fighting bull, or “toro bravo”, is an ancient breed bred to fight. It has little in common with domestic cattle; its meat is not really suitable for the table, nor is its skin prized for leather.
If bullfights are banned, then the breed could become endangered and the bull ranches that cover thousand of acres will have no future.