European and Japanese eels farmed in aquaculture face specific welfare challenges. Their complex life history, sensitivity to handling, and poorly understood requirements make welfare assessment and improvement challenging.
Farmed eel welfare is complicated by the critically endangered status of the primary species and the dependence of farming on wild-caught juveniles. This sustainability problem intersects with welfare concerns about capture, transport, and rearing conditions. The handling sensitivity of eels means that routine aquaculture procedures cause significant acute stress. Improving eel welfare requires both better rearing conditions that minimise handling frequency and development of humane slaughter methods appropriate to eel physiology. The long-term solution for eel aquaculture must also address the collection pressure on wild populations.