Bullfighting in the Modern World
Name:
Course:
Date:

Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of western countries like Spain, Mexico, France, Philippines, and Columbia in which bulls are baited, and thereafter killed in a bullring for entertainment of the audience. Even though it is a blood sport by definition, many followers of this spectacle consider it as a fine art and not as a sport because it lacks competition elements in the proceedings. As it is practiced today, bullfight involves professional toreros who practice different formal moves that can be innovated and interpreted according to the bullfighter’s school or style. It is alleged that the fighters seek to elicit art and inspiration from their work and emotional connection with the audience transmitted through the bull. These maneuvers are done at close range, after the bull has been tied and weakened. The close proximity puts the bullfighter at risk of being trampled or gored by the bull. After hooking the bull several times behind the shoulder, the bullfight ends with the killing of that bull using a single sword thrust called the Estacada (For a Bullfighting-free Europe, 2011).
Ecology
Many bulls are bred and kept in semi-preserved land areas called dehesas. The dehesas are home to many protected animals like the imperial eagle and cared for as an area of outstanding natural beauty. Bullfighting industry claim that the protected species and the dehesas will disappear incase bullfighting is abolished. They claim so because makes irreplaceable and valuable contribution in preserving the dehesas that are being developed. This is not true due to three reasons. First, breeding of the bulls is not the only function and purpose of the dehesas. Many different types of species will benefit from their continued presence and conserve the ecosystem that has formed there. Second, fighting bulls bred in the dehesas play no critical role in the usual functioning of these ecosystems. They are neither prey nor predator. Local authorities have failed to prove that by removing the bulls from the ecosystem, the population of the protected species will be at a threat. Therefore, the ecosystem should not be damaged by the removal of the bulls from the dehesas. Finally, the owners of these dehesas can choose to use their land in different ways without any regard to whether or not they keep the fighting bulls. Therefore, it is up to the government to make sure that such wildlife and land is protected. To achieve this, many laws should be put in place. Furthermore, many organizations charged with protecting the dehesas has failed to identify any benefit of breeding the bulls to the delicate ecological balance of these dehesas (Whiting, 2006).

The bullfighting industry claims that it is an art of universal character, represented by musicians, painters, writers, and sculptors. Presently, bullfighting takes place in only nine countries in the world. A good number of countries have enacted laws that have banned it. Also, certain parts within the bullfighting countries have banned bullfighting; for example, Canary Island in Spain. Many artists and politicians from across the political field have opposed bullfighting. Even if others believe that bullfighting is a culture or tradition, this cannot justify cruelty to the bulls. No matter where in the planet it happens, cruelty is cruelty and it has no place in a modern society (For a Bullfighting-free Europe, 2011).
Economy and the people
Players in the bullfighting industry and its supporters claim that bullfighting is very important to the economy of Spain and the surrounding regions. They claim to provide four million working days, four hundred long term full-time jobs, and about three thousand seasonal jobs. They further claim that the industry is a major tourist attraction in Spain as well as an important spectacle for the Spanish people. However, actual data provided by the bullfighting industry presents a different picture. In reality, less than four hundred people are employed full time throughout the year by the bullfighting industry in Spain (Whiting, 2006).
There is no money generated by the bullfighting industry. The profits only end up the hands of very few people belonging to the elite class of the bullfighting industry. The rich members of the industry know that their business is in recession, so they do not cut their own profit. Instead, they request for public money to sponsor a large percentage of their expenses. In Spain, the bullfighting activities are highly subsidized by the entire levels of the government. It is estimated that more than five hundred million euros of taxpayers’ money is channeled to the pro-bullfighting industry very year in Spain (Davis, 2002).
Many sectors of the industry get subsidies from the government, including : bullfighting fun clubs, bullfighting schools, breeding and slaughtering of bullfighting bulls, pro-bullfighting museums, payment to public television for broadcasting rights of bullfights, marketing and promotional schemes for bullfighting, and many more. Financing these entire subsidies take a lot of money away from important social problems like access to public health, infrastructure, education, social housing, public safety, the elderly, and many more (For a Bullfighting-free Europe, 2011).
In order to estimate the popularity of the bullfighting, it is very important to look at independent polls of the entire population. All the poles conducted have shown that an overwhelming majority of French and Spanish people do not have any interest in bullfighting. For example, a pole conducted in 2006 by the Gallup shows that only seven percent of Spaniards consider themselves as bullfighting fans, and that eighty two percent of the population between the age of fifteen and twenty four do not have any interest in bullfighting at all. About fifty cities and towns in Spain have declared themselves as anti-bullfighting. This should serve as a reflection of the diminishing popularity and that supporters of bullfighting are in the minority side that are losing side every year (Whiting, 2006).
The bullfighting industry always claims that bullfighting generates a lot of revenue to the region and local towns. However, it is very important to many tourists will visit Spain irrespective of the presence of bullfighting. Tourists do not specifically travel to Spain to watch and enjoy a bullfight. In fact, because of the latest concept of ethical travelling, many tourists are more likely to visit South of France, Spain or Portugal when bullfighting will no longer exist there. Attending a bullfighting purely out of curiosity and never interested in returning is a common phenomenon among tourists. Certainly, this does not the claim of the industry that bullfighting is very popular. Bullfighting industries always cite the number of tickets sold as a pointer to the popularity of their activity. They do not consider the fact that majority of these seats are used by usual people many times, either by the people have seasonal tickets (where majority of the tickets are sold), or by the aficionados who move from town to town to attend the bullfights. The industries themselves no longer hide from the fact that they have lost popularity and are experiencing popularity crisis (Davis, 2002).
The future
The bullfighting industries claim that: “Brave and noble, the bulls grow in combat, and they exercise their bravery in the bullring. The bullfighting bulls exist because of the existence of the fiesta. In case bullfighting is banned, then cultural patrimony with tradition in France, Spain, Latin America, and Portugal will be irreversibly affected.” The facts are that cultures and societies change over time. Cultural and social practices once practiced no longer have a place in the modern European society. In case human or animal welfare is compromised, tradition is no longer a significant factor when we consider whether or not a practice should be banned. The knowledge we possess about physical and psychological welfare of animals has immensely improved over the last decade. The manner in which bulls are treated during the bullfights is totally contradicting the values of animal welfare common in a modern society. Everybody knows that bulls, like any other animals, are sensitive beings capable of feeling pain and suffering. Several claims that the bull grows and develop in combat and enjoys being tortured and eventually killed in a bullring totally defy this reason (Whiting, 2006).
Statistics show a clear trend that opposition to bullfighting is increasing in all countries of Europe where bullfighting events takes place. Particularly, the young generation shows very dismal interest in this cruel culture that has been overtaken by events. I suggest that we teach our children, who are the future generation, to respect the animals and environment certainly shows that the relationship between humans and animals is rapidly changing. Men and bulls can peacefully continue to live together. Bulls can be kept in special nature reserves specifically established to preserve a variety of breeds. The EU (European Union) has already shown commitment and leadership to different animal welfare issues. They have introduced several improvements in the manner wild animals and farms are treated. The future between human and animals totally depend on the progressive policies of the European Union (For a Bullfighting-free Europe, 2011).

References
Davis, K. (2002). Look what came from Spain. New York: Franklin Watts.
For a Bullfighting-free Europe. (2011, June 13). For a Bullfighting-free europe. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://www.bullfightingfreeeurope.org/
Whiting, J. (2006). Ernest Hemingway. Hockessin, Del.: Mitchell Lane Publishers.