For now no more traditional bullfights in Balearic Islands

For now no more traditional bullfights will take place in the Balearic Islands, Spain. The Spanish government intended to stop the plans of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands, but this failed. The law that makes it impossible to hold traditional bullfights in the Balearic Islands is valid once again. CAS International worked, together with other organizations, to achieve this goal in the Balearic Islands.

Constitutional Court
In July 2017, the Parliament of the Balearic Islands decided to prohibit to hurt and kill bulls during bullfights. After this decision, the Spanish government appealed to the Constitutional Court against the new law, since the government did not consider it constitutional. This caused the law to be temporarily suspended. Now, the Constitutional Court could not prove the law goes against the constitution following the arguments of Spanish government. The law is valid again, which means that no bloody bullfights will take place this year in the Balearic Islands.

The Spanish Constitutional Court will investigate further whether the law can be considered as constitutional. The law will stay valid until the court proclaims a definitive sentence.

New Law
The Constitutional Court decided in 2016 that states cannot prohibit bullfighting, so a new strategy was required in the Balearic Islands: the prohibition of several elements of bullfighting. Approved with 33 votes in favor, 19 against and 2 abstentions, a new regulation was enforced. The bullfights themself were not prohibited, but the killing (during and after the event) or injuring of the bull was banned. The bull must return to the farm he comes from. Horses were no longer allowed in bullfights. The bullfighters and animals would be subjected to doping tests. Moreover, the entrance of minors (under 18 years) was no longer allowed.

Mallorca Sense Sang
The last years we worked intensively to end bullfighting in the Balearic Islands in the campaign Mallorca Sense Sang (Mallorca Without Blood), led by AnimaNaturalis and CAS and supported by HSI. Other organizations also battled for the end of bullfighting on the Balearic Islands. Now, finally, this has been achieved thanks to the work of many, among them LIBERA! Illes Balears, AVATMA, Fundación Franz Weber, Mercy for Animals and CoPPA.

Marius Kolff, director of CAS International:

“Bullfighting lovers want to see blood. Without blood bullfights are not interesting anymore for them. To drink a beer while watching a bloodbath is no longer possible. Boring for them, good for us!”

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