European eel aquaculture depends entirely on wild-caught glass eels as seedstock, raising welfare and conservation concerns alongside those in production.
European eel aquaculture welfare begins with the inherent problem that the production cycle starts with the capture of wild, critically endangered animals. The welfare of glass eels during capture — concentrated aggregations of tiny, sensitive animals handled under inevitably stressful conditions — raises concerns that are inseparable from the conservation implications of removing wild animals from an endangered population. Production welfare challenges include high stocking density management, disease pressure, and the stress of handling for grading and treatment. The combination of conservation and welfare concerns around European eel aquaculture makes it one of the most ethically complex sectors in aquaculture — welfare science must engage with both the species' conservation status and individual animal welfare simultaneously.