European and Japanese eels are among the most welfare-neglected farmed fish species, facing declining wild populations, extreme farming conditions, and virtually no welfare regulation.
Eel farming presents a convergence of conservation and welfare problems. Wild eel populations are collapsing, and the aquaculture industry depends entirely on wild-caught juveniles because eel breeding in captivity remains largely unsuccessful at commercial scale. This means eel farming simultaneously damages wild populations and produces farmed animals under conditions with no welfare standards. The high neurological complexity of eels, evidence of pain responses, and the often inhumane slaughter conditions combine to make eel one of the most ethically problematic seafood choices. Reducing eel consumption is simultaneously a conservation and welfare action.