<p>Lawmakers in Catalonia -- Spain's northeastern region -- voted in 2010 for the ban, the first in Spain, after 180,000 people signed a petition.<br /><br />They said bull-fighting was "barbaric". Opponents, however, say they will challenge the ban in court.<br /><br />The ban takes effect Jan 1, 2012, but Sunday's fights in Catalonia were expected to be the last events of the 2011 season. <br /><br />Tickets for the historic bull-fights sold out at record speed. They have been sold on the black market for up to five times the original value, BBC said.<br /><br />Large crowds, however, have been rare in the Barcelona bull-ring for some time, and this dwindling support has been one reason the regional parliament voted in favour of banning the act.<br /><br />There has also been a growing awareness of animal rights and, the desire of Catalan people to "distinguish the region" from the rest of Spain.<br /><br />Bull-fighting is permitted in all other regions of Spain except in the Canary Islands.<br />Campaigners hope to extend the ban across the country, but they face a far tougher task in traditional bull-fighting heartlands like Andalucia and Madrid.<br /><br />Many people there dismiss all talk of cruelty and say that bull-fighting is an age-old art form that must be protected and preserved, the report said.</p>
<p>Lawmakers in Catalonia -- Spain's northeastern region -- voted in 2010 for the ban, the first in Spain, after 180,000 people signed a petition.<br /><br />They said bull-fighting was "barbaric". Opponents, however, say they will challenge the ban in court.<br /><br />The ban takes effect Jan 1, 2012, but Sunday's fights in Catalonia were expected to be the last events of the 2011 season. <br /><br />Tickets for the historic bull-fights sold out at record speed. They have been sold on the black market for up to five times the original value, BBC said.<br /><br />Large crowds, however, have been rare in the Barcelona bull-ring for some time, and this dwindling support has been one reason the regional parliament voted in favour of banning the act.<br /><br />There has also been a growing awareness of animal rights and, the desire of Catalan people to "distinguish the region" from the rest of Spain.<br /><br />Bull-fighting is permitted in all other regions of Spain except in the Canary Islands.<br />Campaigners hope to extend the ban across the country, but they face a far tougher task in traditional bull-fighting heartlands like Andalucia and Madrid.<br /><br />Many people there dismiss all talk of cruelty and say that bull-fighting is an age-old art form that must be protected and preserved, the report said.</p>