The beginning of the end for bullfighting in Spain?

There can be little doubt that bullfighting is one of the most controversial issues of Spanish culture today, with both fierce supporters and opponents constantly trying to maintain and stamp out the tradition.

The former argue that corridas de toros (bullfights) represent an integral part of Spanish heritage and, what’s more, that they are a hugely important contributor to the country’s tourism industry and thus its economy. For advocates, bullfighting is an impressive sport and an opportunity for participants to demonstrate a high level of skill, while simultaneously providing excellent entertainment for the public.

Conversely, many others, including animal rights groups such as Prou! (meaning Enough!) believe it is a bloody spectacle which involves needless cruelty to innocent animals and that it has no place in modern culture. In Catalonia, Prou!’s efforts against the ruthless killing of toros (bulls) culminates tomorrow in a parliamentary vote on the banning of bullfighting, following a petition of 180,000 signatures submitted last year.

It is expected that the Catalan parliament will vote in favour of the ban, and that this will mark the beginning of the end for bullfighting in Spain, as it won't be long before many more of the country's seventeen autonomous regions follow suit.