spain and bullfighting

Spain and BullfightingMadrid, February 23rd, 2011

Plataforma LA TORTURA NO ES CULTURA

La Plataforma LTNEC

Our platform gathers the main animal-rights associations in Spain


Index

Brief history of bullfighting

Do bulls suffer during corridas?

Spaniards and bullfighting today

Turism and bullfighting.


BRIEF HISTORY OF BULLFIGHTING


BRIEF HISTORY OF BULLFIGHTING

Pictures from Crete, dating from about 2000 BC show male and female acrobats confronting a bull, grabbing its horns as it charges, and vaulting over its back.

Around the 700‟s it is known of Moors killing bulls from horses in the Peninsula.

History recalls that the first real bullfight as such, or ”Corrida”, took place inn 1133 at Vera, Logroño in honour of the coronationof King Alfonso VIII at the times of the Reconquista.

By 1726 first bullfighting hero :Francisco Romero from Ronda, who introduced the Modern Corrida


BRIEF HISTORY OF BULLFIGHTING: BANS

King Philip II however found the spectacle disgusting and enlisted thehelp of Pope Pius V who issued a papal bull titled De Salute Gregis in November 1567 which forbade fighting of bulls and any other beasts as the voluntary risk to life endangered the soul of the combatants, but it was abolished eight years later by his successor, Pope Gregory XIII.

Bullfighting is now banned in many countries; people taking part in such activity would be liable for terms of imprisonment for animal cruelty: Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Bullfighting was introduced in Uruguay in 1776 by Spain and abolished by Uruguayan law in February 1912.

Bullfighting was also introduced in Argentina by Spain but after Argentina's independence the event drastically diminished in popularity and was abolished in 1899 under law 2786.

Bullfighting also saw a presence in Cuba during its colonial period but was quickly abolished after its independence in 1901.

http://www.all-creatures.org/ca/archive-desalutegregis.html

http://www.all-creatures.org/ca/archive-desalutegregis.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguay

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina



In France, bullfighting is only permitted in 11 departments (in France there are 101 departments, 5 of each are overseas). In the rest, bullfighting is sanctioned by the Penal Code as “serious abuse or acts of cruelty towards animals”.

During the 18th and 19th centuries bullfighting in Spain was banned at several occasions (for instance by Philip V) but always reinstituted later by other governments.

In 1991, the Canary Islands became the first Spanish Autonomous Community to ban bullfighting, when they legislated to ban bullfights and other spectacles that involve cruelty to animals.

In 2004, Barcelona‟s Townhall declared the city against bullfighting and friend of animals. It was the result of a bullfighting campaign started by ONG ADDA with the aid of WSPA which culminated with the Popular Legislative Initiative managed by the platform PROU.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands



On 18 December 2009, the parliament of Catalonia, one of Spain's seventeen Autonomous Communities, approved by majority the preparation of a law to ban bullfighting in Catalonia, as a response to a popular initiative against bullfighting that gathered more than 180,000 signatures.

On July 28, 2010, the Parliament of Catalonia voted the banning of bullfighting in Catalonia which will be effective on January 1, 2012.

On December 17, 2010 Ecuador's president Rafael Correa announced that in a upcoming referendum, the country will be asked whether to ban bullfighting.

In Spain, 82 cities have symbolically declared themselves “antibullfighting”, a declaration of an ethics and policy statement adopted by the municipalities in which they do not support and are against the practice of bullfighting and in aid of the principles of the animal rights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Catalonia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuador


DO BULLS SUFFER DURING

CORRIDAS?STUDY MADE BY PHD VETERINARIAN JOSÉ ENRIQUE ZALDÍVAR FROM AVAT ASSOCIATION.

(IT CONTAINS HARD IMAGES FROM REAL CORRIDAS.

TO SKIP CLICK HERE OR GO TO SLIDE 46)


TYPES OF BULLFIGHTING or LIDIA


Becerradas (Calf- fight) by apprentices:animals over 1 year and less than 2 years old.


Amateur (Aficionado)Becerradas (Calf- fight): animals over 1 year and under 2 years old


Novilladas (Steer-fight) with banderillas (picks): Bulls around 3 years old


Rejoneo. Bulls from 4 to 5 years old


Big arena Bullfighting: Bulls from 4-5 years-old.


The Lidia

Before coming out in the ring, the bull has been kept in a small space in darkness.Once the door of the small room where he was kept has been opened, he will be drawn trough a narrow corridor towards the “puerta de chiqueros” (a door that communicates with the ring/arena. A few moments before allowing him to enter to the ring, a short sword with the colors of livestock to which it belongs will be driven in his neck.


The “Tercios(Thirds)” or parts of the Lidia:

De varas. (rods/wands)

De banderillas. (Arpoons with flags)

De muerte. (Death)


TERCIO DE VARAS

THIRD OF WANDSPuya: a steel blade, 9 cm long, 6.0 cm and 3 cm steel stringed pyramidal, sharpened at each of its edges as the blade of a scalpel. The top is supposed to prevent trespassing the flesh of the bull more than the 9 cm, but often paths/trajectories were measured over 30 cm with an average of 17 cm in the autopsies of bulls struggled. Each barb is open 7 different paths. This is possible because of “accidental” down pressure made by the picador with his 30 kilo stirrup on the puya into the bull‟s flesh.


TERCIO DE VARAS

70% of the rods are placed behind the andirons.

Anatomical damage: rupture of muscles (+ of 20 without considering rib and intercostal damage), tendons, ligaments, nerves, arteries, veins, ribs and cartilage extensions and apophyges spiny dorsal vertebrae.

Bleeding in the spinal channel, and blood loss estimated between 8 and 18% (a bull of 550 kilos will lose between 8 and 18 liters of blood by the action of the puya)

The purpose of the puyas is to injure muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the neck so that the bull can not lift his head and make him lose strength from the pain, the injuries caused and the loss of blood.

These also serve to measure the bravery of the bull as he can face the horse or instead run away from it.

One of the great harm caused by the puya frequently, is injury of the brachial plexus, the nerve that is responsible for the innervations of the forelimbs, and of the nerves that project parallel to the spinal cord. The puyas driven in the sides and the chest can injure the shoulder and its cartilage.

They can penetrate the thorax wounding the lungs and the pleura resulting in pneumothorax.


TERCIO DE VARAS

The “picador” (stinger) makes

“illegal”*moves to punish and further

weaken the bull:

*Illegal according to bullfighting regulation, but commonly ignored


TERCIO DE VARAS

Metesaca (insert, remove, insert, remove ...) and corkscrew or drilling (using the

lance as though uncorking a bottle of wine). Moreover, contrary to regulations,

which says it the bull should be allowed to come out of the horse, the picador

often prevents this moving the horse to the right, and wrapping the bull, which is

known as to the “carioca”.

A running shock (at about 30 km per hour) of an animal that weights 500 kilos

towards a stationary object about 800 kilos heavy (which is what weights the

horse, its protections, the picador and its defensas). Bullfighting media say that

the clash of the bull against the horse, is equivalent to the fall from a height of 2

meters of a bag of 45 kilos above the bull's neck.

In 23% of cases, the step of the chopper, a 30 kilos iron frame, will cause

serious eye injury to the bull, and, according to the taxidermist of the Plaza de

Las Ventas, in 60% of cases, fractures and fissures of the skull. We have seen

in many recordings that the picador heads his step bracket to the bull's head

when the bull is going to hit the horse.


TERCIO DE VARAS


TERCIO DE BANDERILLAS

THIRD OF ARPOONS WITH FLAGS

The banderillas (small flags) are wooden sticks with decorations, bearing in its

tip a sharp and stabbing steel harpoon, 4.5 cm in length.

At least 4 of these will be placed, at most 8 (in case that the bullfighter also acts

as a banderillero), and the average is 6.

The banderillas ar digged into the animal's dorsal area and will damage

muscles, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and nerves, increasing the bleeding

caused by the puya.

If placed incorrectly, as sometimes happens, on the side of the thorax, it may

result in pneumothorax. The aim is that as a result of pain, the bull gets

angry and he enters to the “muleta” of the bullfighter, that is, charges

against the red cape he shakes before the bull. As normally a bovine would

not charge against a human being.

If the bull did not receive the “appropriate punishment”* with the horse and the

arpoons, the president of the lidia may ask "black flags" to be placed, whose

harpoon is larger than those used normally.

*Real words in the bullfighting regulation.


TERCIO DE BANDERILLAS


In bullfighting, not only bulls are victims, butonly them and the horses have not chosento be there and would escape if they were notenclosed in a ring and forced to fight for theirlives.

In any case, it is a horrible spectacle no oneshould be proud of.


TERCIO DE MUERTE

THIRD OF DEATH

In Bullfighting is called “Suerte suprema” (supreme destiny). It consists in introducing into the hole of needles, between the 4 th and 6 th dorsal vertebras, a sword of 80 cm in length in order to sever the great vessels of the thoracic cavity, the caudal vena cava and posterior aorta artery to produce a large hemorrhage.


TERCIO DE MUERTE


TERCIO DE MUERTE

The truth is that according to

postmortem studies performed in

bulls fought, only 20% of them

achieve that objective.


TERCIO DE MUERTE

In the 80% remaining cases something very

different will happen, something that will cause

more agony to the animal.


TERCIO DE MUERTE

Cut in the bull‟s

right large lung

lobe, with slow

bleeding in the

chest cavity

which will be

causing choking

and suffocation to

the animal. The

bull will be

swallowing his

own blood, and

little threads of it

that will come out

from his mouth

and nose will be visible.


TERCIO DE MUERTE

The “estoque” (rapier/sword) pierces the diaphragm (breathing muscle), penetrating the liver or the

stomach. The injury to the diaphragm will result in paralysis of the phrenic nerve, vital for inspiration

and expiration, which will cause severe shortness of breath, and hiccups in the animal, which will

collapse taking a few steps back and bleeding from the mouth and nose.

This sword, in its way, whether it gets in completely or partially in the chest cavity of the animal, will

cut everything along its way, it will cause profuse bleeding, and will lead the animal to a slow death by suffocation.


TERCIO DE MUERTE

Entrance of the sword in the lungs, which causes that bleeding caused will

move from the lungs to the bronchi, then to the trachea, and then out through

the mouth and nose. The agonizing situation of the animal in these

circumstances is clear. The animal vomits blood.


After the sword thrust, and after a pause to see if the animal falls doubling the forelimbs or not,

the “descabello” takes place, using a similar sword, but one provided of a stop at 10 cm from

the tip. This sword is inserted between the first and second cervical vertebra seeking the goal of

severing the spinal cord. It is seldom achieved at the first try, or at the second or at the third ... I

have seen novilleros trying to perform the “descabello” in steers for up to 10 consecutive times,

and some bullfighters do not lag behind.

Once the spinal cord has been sectioned, disconnection of all the motor apparatus of the bull

will take place, thus preventing him to be able to stand up again.

TERCIO DE MUERTE


The Lidia will end with the “puntilla” lace, the blade a

10 cm long knife is introduced into the space occipito

atlantoideo, which will injure the medulla oblongata, a

neural structure which connects the bulb to the brain.

The medulla has the function to transmit nerve

impulses from the spinal cord to the brain, and

regulates the movements of inhalation and exhalation breathing and the heartbeat

TERCIO DE MUERTE


This injury, therefore, will cause cardiac arrest in the bull, not immediate, but slow, especially

if the application of the lace has not been done correctly. We can say that this sometimes

happens, as it has been certificated by one of the mulilleros of the Plaza de Las Ventas, when

he said: "Some bulls arrive to the “desolladero” (rendering place) badly “apuntillados” to the

rendering plant, and thank goodness they can not stand up.” In these cases, if the bull is cut

off one or both ears as a prize to a bullfighter, he is perfectly aware of it. The use of lace as a

method of slaughter in slaughter houses in the EU, has been forbidden many years ago, since

it was considered a cruel method of killing an animal.

TERCIO DE MUERTE


END OF THE LIDIA


CLINICAL DATA

In addition to what has been described, that I hope was enough to make you

understand that these animals suffer intense torture and abuse during the

bullfight, there are scientific studies that highlight organic suffering.

The blood analysis of bulls that have been struggled indicates that all parameters

(32 measured), markers of liver, kidney and muscle functions, including

electrolytes, and some hormones, are altered in relation to physiological values,

some above and some below normal values.

Gas tests performed in these animals indicate that their blood is loaded with

carbon dioxide, and 95% of the bulls struggled suffer what is known as metabolic

acidosis that is a factor that determines unequivocally the suffering in cattle and

which is caused by the transformation of lactic acid produced in their muscles

from physical exhaustion, in lactate that will pass to the blood.


Physological alterations


Phychological suffering

What I have shown refers to physical suffering these animals undergo,

and that has its highest expression in the pain they caused them, but we

must not forget that these animals, provided of a limbic system,

responsible for processing emotions, virtually identical to ours, are able to

feel fear, panic, loneliness, and sadness in adverse situations as

described.

I invite you to place yourselves for a moment in the body and brain of

these animals, empathize with them and try to process sensations and

feelings that they can perceive and develop since they are separated from

their herd in the place where they were born and have been living until his

life ends in the ring.


A few days ago I read a text by a woman, previously a bullfights aficionada, reasoning the transit to her conversion into anti-bullfighting, saying:

"The fighting of a bull, is a work that produces only a corpse. Through the bullfight, the bull, which had never been in a Plaza, learns to be fought, that is, learsn to be what has hitherto been without knowing, a bull for bullfighting, and just as he learns, he discovers that transformation destiny itself coincides with his end at the hands of his master. " A paradox.


José Enrique ZaldívarVeterinarioPresidente de la Asociación de Veterinarios Abolicionistas de la Tauromaquia (AVAT)


SPANIARDS AND BULLFIGHTINGGO BACK TO DO BULLS SUFFER?


48

Spaniards and Bullfighting

According to the last official survey performed by Investiga-Aedemo, 67,2% of Spaniardsshow no interest in bullfighting.

*Source: http://www.slideshare.net/Mouriz/estudio-sobre-la-aficin-por-los-toros-en-espaa-presentation


49


This is supported by the different on-line polls held in all kinds of media sites.


50


This is supported by the different on-line polls held in all kinds of media sites.


09/08/10



18/08/10



58

Even in Madrid, capital of Spain, only a third (un 33%) of the population shows some interest onbullfighting, which does not justify the government‟s attempt to declare it Cultural Asset of theAutonomous Community.

*Source: http://www.slideshare.net/Mouriz/estudio-sobre-la-aficin-por-los-toros-en-espaa-presentation



59

On the other hand, 51,609 signatures were raised in only two months with only 400 volunteers and apopular legislative innitiative was taken to the Madrid Assemby, whose main party refused to debateit.



60

Likewise, the demonstration in Madrid against bullfighting on March 28th, was the largest in thehistory of our country and proves that our society is widely against this atrocity..



61

An event that was widely covered internationally but silenced nationally.



And while Catalonia legitimally banned bullfighting, in Madrid, it was

declared Cultural Asset against the people‟s opinion.




People call for a violence-free society and that includes animals too.

Social networks are a great proof for it.

No es mi fiesta nacional: 375.691 members



No es mi fiesta nacional: 23.632 members



Tordesillas: 16.758 members



Plataforma La Tortura no es Cultura:

9.367 members


So Why are bullfightings still on? Subsidies.

•The bullfighting industry does generate money, but the profits only end up in

the hands of a very small number of people that belong to the bullfighting

elite.

•These „rich‟ members of the industry, knowing that their business is in

recession, do not cut their own profits, but instead ask for public money to

cover a large proportion of their expenses. Bullfighting activities are heavily

subsidised in Spain by all levels of the Government. It has been estimated that

over 600 million euros of taxpayers’ money is destined to the pro-

bullfighting industry per year in Spain.

•Many aspects of the industry receive subsidies, including: bullfighting schools,

bullfighting fan clubs, breeding and slaughtering of bullfighting bulls, purchase of

bulls for popular fiestas, promotion and marketing schemes for bullfighting,

payments by public television for the broadcasting rights of bullfights, pro-

bullfighting museums and many more. All these subsidies take money away

from serious social problems such as access to public health, education,

infrastructures, the elderly, public safety, social housing and so on.According to a poll of Junta de Castilla y León in 2009, only 18% of Spaniards agree in giving subsidies to bullfighting. And only

9,8% of the aficionados, goes, at least, once a year to a bullfight.


So Why are bullfightings still on? Subsidies.

Subsidies that go from a people struggling to make it to the end of the month, to

the wealthiest capitals of Spain.

http://www.tiempodehoy.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=50&idioma=CAS&idnoticia_PK=62106&idseccio_PK=612&h=100

820

“La duquesa de Alba, Mario Conde, Alberto Alcocer y Emilio Botín son algunos de los que

podrían perder las abundantes subvenciones agrícolas que reciben por sus fincas de recreo. Y

es que se da la circunstancia de que siete grandes propietarios españoles cobran lo mismo que

12.700 pequeños agricultores.

La intención de Bruselas es que sólo se subvencione a quienes son realmente agricultores.

Además, se pretende llevar a cabo una limitación de las cantidades, ya que algunos perceptores

pueden acumular millones de euros en ayudas. En ese caso peligran los fondos que se han

embolsado desde hace lustros terratenientes como Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, que a través

de sus sociedades cobró el año pasado 1,1 millones de euros.

Entre las familias que sacan un gran provecho de los subsidios se encuentran los Mora

Figueroa, que consiguen cosechar 5,5 millones en ayudas. Pero también cobran ayudas

banqueros, financieros y empresarios que usan sus fincas de esparcimiento para recolectar

ayudas europeas. Así, la familia de Mario Conde recibió el año pasado 458.000 euros, los

March 447.000, los Benjumea, dueños de Abengoa, 375.000; Alberto Alcocer, 316.000; y la

familia Botín, 315.000. “




TURISM AND BULLFIGHTING


Tourism and Bullfighting

The bullfighting industry often cites that bullfighting brings in important revenue to local towns and regions. It is, however, important to remember that tourists will visit Spain with or without bullfighting: tourists don’t go to Spain in order to specifically watch a bullfight.

Attending a bullfight out of curiosity and never wanting to return is a common phenomenon amongst tourists, which certainly does not strengthen the industry‟s claims that bullfighting is popular.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VQ2kKeBd1E&feature=related

In fact, due to the modern concept of „ethical travelling‟, more tourists are more likely to visit Spain, Portugal or the South of France when bullfighting no longer exists there.

There are thousands of people on Social Networking Sites like Twitter and Facebook who have supported the ban and express desire to travel Catalonia after the ban takes place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VQ2kKeBd1E&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VQ2kKeBd1E&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I975vwW3Cc4&feature=player_embedded#at=101

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I975vwW3Cc4&feature=player_embedded










THANK YOU

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