SPAIN: BLUE TONGUE DISEASE IN CATTLE THREATENS BULLFIGHTS DUE TO THE RESTRICTED MOVEMENT OF ANIMALS.

Record ID: 376119

  • Title: SPAIN: BLUE TONGUE DISEASE IN CATTLE THREATENS BULLFIGHTS DUE TO THE RESTRICTED MOVEMENT OF ANIMALS.
  • Date: 24th March 2005
  • Summary: (L!1) MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 24, 2005) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS: TOROS BRAVO OR FIGHTING BULLS ON RANCH NEAR EL ESCORIAL 50KMS WEST OF MADRID. (4 SHOTS) 0.23 2. SCU: SOUNDBITE (Spanish) AGRICULTURE MINISTER ELENAESPINOSA ON 16TH MARCH IN MADRID SENATE, SAYING: "We are working to find an adequate answer to worries expressed by fighting bull sec
  • Embargoed: 8th April 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Reuters ID: LVAD6RLK4LPCNU0UG81XOMHU1SN3
  • Story Text: Blue tongue disease of cattle results in restricted movement of the
    animals in Spain and threatens bullfights.



    Blue tongue is a sort of flu virus disease that causes tongues of infected sheep to swell and sometimes turn blue. Fatal only to sheep but can be
    transmitted by insects to other grazing animals. It broke out last October in
    Andalusia and the south of Estremadura, two important bull breeding areas.

    Spanish minister Elena Espinosa said they were working to find a solution but
    could not risk endangering Spains 24 milllion sheep and related exports.

    Current rules will allow bulls from infected areas to be trucked to
    bullrings if vehicles and enclosures are disinfected at each stage. Those
    animals which are rejected by bullring vets or by the public will not be
    allowed to return to the ranches and will have to be slaughtered at the ring,
    and for every six bulls that will be fought to extra or reserve bulls have to
    trucked by the breeder; these are normally returned to the ranch. Bullfighting
    association ANOET explains that a bull which is fought in a ring is worth
    about 12,000 euros (or 16,000 Dollars) while a bull killed for meat is worth
    about 300 Euros.

    Bullfighting season starts in the Spring with major festivals in Madrid and
    seville and, in July, the Pamplona bullrunning fiesta.


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