European eels are critically endangered with populations having declined by over 95%, facing barriers to migration, parasites, and fishing pressure throughout their complex life cycle.
Eels impacted by turbines during downstream migration experience acute traumatic injury and death. Glass eels unable to pass impassable barriers in rivers cannot access freshwater feeding habitats, reducing population recruitment. Anguillicola crassus parasites in the swim bladder cause chronic pain, reduced buoyancy control, and impaired long-distance migration capacity. Fishing pressure at multiple life stages removes individuals from the population before spawning. The combination of these stressors across the entire complex life cycle creates an overwhelming welfare and conservation burden.