Lots Of Bull

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By Malcolm Beith

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Bullfighting, Spain's fiesta nacional, is suffering on the horns of the ongoing BSE crisis. Each year some 40,000 bulls are fought and killed, and almost all are butchered ringside. They are then sold for the delectation of local consumers, bringing in an estimated annual revenue of around $14 million. But recently introduced rules require any meat destined for human consumption to be tested for BSE. And if a bull tests positive, the slaughter of the entire herd--even if this means destroying a unique genetic pool that was bred over centuries--would be called for. Bull owners have suggested that for this season the bulls be sent, intact, to the nearest incinerator, as long as the impresarios are compensated by the government. They hope that a test for BSE in live animals will soon be available. If not, animal-rights groups might not be the worst thing that ever happened to Spain's age-old tradition.

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