Bullfighting is one of those issues that leave little middle ground: supporters defend it as an ancient art with deep cultural roots; opponents call it an outdated spectacle based on cruelty to animals.

In recent years, those opponents have succeeded at making their voices heard, with animal rights groups and environmentalists winning the support of some of the country's regional governments - notably in Catalonia, where children under 16 cannot attend corridas.

In the Basque Country, the regional parliament approved a draft law in October 2007 saying that under-16s could only attend bullfights if they were accompanied by an adult.

Prompted by animal rights groups - with actress Brigitte Bardot to the fore - the French government has said that it will discuss whether to follow Catalonia's lead.

After years of decline, the south of France has seen a surge in interest in bullfighting over the last five years, with corridas in Nime, Bayona, Mont de Marsan, Arles, Dax, Béziers, and Ceret drawing sell-out crowds.

These rings are famous for their tough bulls, and are now increasingly attracting the top names from Spain - which is why the French anti-bullfighting groups are pushing the government so hard on introducing an age limit, and which they hope will be the first step to a complete ban.

"Parents have the right to educate their children. The problem is that minors are not able to properly decide whether they should attend a spectacle that is based on killing an animal. This activity is not a reflection of civilization - it is barbarism," said Nicolas Biscaye of the Société Protectrice des Animaux.

The French entrepreneurs who run the country's bullrings dismiss charges that minors should be protected from the spectacle.

Simón Casas has been running Nime's bullring for the last 28 years. When he took over there was a short annual season with five corridas. There are now two seasons, with a total of 15 fights.

"I have two daughters aged six and seven who sometimes come with me to the bullring. I watch how they react, and if I saw anything negative in their behaviour, I wouldn't need a law preventing them from coming to the ring. I'd do it myself," he insisted.

Opponents and supporters can also call on any number of studies by experts.

To date, one of the most detailed studies was carried out in 1999 by the then minors' ombudsman for the regional government of Madrid, Javier Urra and was contributed by several leading academics and psychologists.

The report's conclusion was written by Enrique Echeburúa, a professor at the University of the Basque Country who wrote:  "Based on the available evidence, we do not think that it is dangerous for children under 14 to watch a bullfight. There is not enough scientific evidence to support imposing an age limit on entry."

However, Echeburúa added children should be accompanied by an adult, and that a child suffering from any kind of depressive illness should not witness a bullfight.

Anti- and pro-bullfighting supporters

Opponents of bullfighting say that simply preventing children from going into bullrings is not enough, and that corridas should not be allowed to be shown on television during the day.

"How can it be a good thing for a child to be allowed to watch an event that consists of mistreating an animal; where people enjoy the pain inflicted on the beast, and bray for more blood?" asked Theo Oberhuber of the NGO Ecologists in Action.

But bullfighting fans argue that children can learn lessons for life from what goes on in the ring. "I'm a father, and I'm much more worried about my children attending a soccer stadium where there is always so much violence," said bullfighter Luis Francisco Esplá.

"But in the bullring, there is no separation between supporters of one bullfighter and another. The bullfight has its order, it is a ritual, and it teaches children a series of values and guidelines that no longer exist in the wider society," he adds.

It seems clear that underlying the debate about children and bullfighting is whether the corrida still has a place in modern society. Opponents of bullfighting say it is outdated.

In October 2006, a Gallup poll showed that 72.1 percent of Spaniards said they had no interest in bullfighting, while 26.7 percent did. This is a significant fall from 1999, when 38 percent of Spaniards said they were interested.

Joan Herrera, a former Catalan Green Party deputy, believes that bullfighting needs to undergo "deep-rooted reform" if it is to adapt to a Spain that is more aware of animal rights.

"Killing an animal should never be a public spectacle," he said, adding: "Bullfights are part of an outdated tradition with sadistic overtones."

In recent years, the anti-bullfighting movement has attracted wider support, beyond environmentalists and animal rights activists, and has become a political issue.

In an unprecedented move, in 2004, Barcelona city hall came out publicly to condemn bullfighting.

El Pais / David Fernandez / Expatica

Photos credit: Wagner T. Cassimiro "Aranha" ; Wolfgang Staudt