European and American eels are critically endangered while also being extensively fished and farmed. Their welfare in both contexts is poorly understood and rarely addressed.
Eels farmed for food begin life as wild-caught glass eels taken from rivers — the very act of collection depletes wild populations already in crisis. Farmed eels are kept at high density and slaughtered using methods that cause significant suffering. Traditional slaughter by rubbing in salt causes prolonged conscious distress before death. The conservation crisis and welfare problems in eel production are connected — better management would involve both protecting wild populations and improving captive welfare standards.