European and Japanese eels are farmed in large quantities for food markets despite very limited welfare research and husbandry standards, leaving significant welfare gaps in a commercially important species.
Eel farming sits at the intersection of a conservation crisis and a welfare research gap. European glass eels are collected from wild populations already at critically endangered status to stock farms that have few species-specific welfare standards. Eels exhibit stress responses to standard aquaculture handling and high-density conditions, and slaughter methods used commercially are not validated for humaneness. The combination of limited welfare research, regulatory focus on conservation rather than welfare, and high commercial value creates conditions for welfare neglect. Addressing eel welfare requires species-specific research, development of humane slaughter standards and consumer pressure on sourcing transparency.