The Catalan parliament has voted to ban bullfighting.

It’s the first time a regional parliament in mainland Spain has backed a ban. The first Spanish region to ban bullfighting was the Canary Islands, in 1991.

Animal defence organisations hailed the decision.

The Catalan deputies voted on July 28 after a petition was brought to parliament, signed by 180,000 people who say bullfighting is barbaric and outdated. Sixty-eight parliamentarians backed a ban, 55 voted against, and nine abstained.

The ban is due to take effect in January 2012.

Anti-bullfighting campaigners said they expected other regions of Spain to follow Catalonia’s example.

Animal rights group elated.