European Eel Welfare in Aquaculture and Wild Fisheries

The European eel is one of the most endangered fish in the world and one of the most poorly understood. Both aquaculture and wild fisheries raise significant welfare concerns for a species whose biology remains only partially known.

Key Facts

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is classified as Critically Endangered — wild populations have declined by over 90% since the 1970s.
Eels cannot reproduce in captivity; aquaculture relies entirely on wild-caught juvenile glass eels, whose capture further depletes already depleted wild stocks.
Eels are capable of aerial respiration and can survive out of water for extended periods — this complicates welfare assessment of slaughter methods.
They are slaughtered by a variety of methods including salting (which causes prolonged conscious distress), gutting while alive, and hot smoking — all with poor welfare profiles.
Electrical stunning is effective for eels but not universally adopted in the industry.
Wild eel trapping using fyke nets can result in prolonged confinement with associated welfare impacts including hypoxia and crowding.

Welfare Considerations

Eel welfare raises difficult questions at the intersection of conservation and welfare concern. Farming eels requires capturing wild juveniles, which harms the conservation of an already critically endangered species — making eel aquaculture both a welfare and conservation problem. Traditional slaughter methods — particularly salting — cause extended conscious suffering that is well-documented and preventable with electrical stunning. The eel's unusual physiology (tolerance for hypoxia, aerial respiration) has historically been used to justify poor welfare practices, but these characteristics do not eliminate pain experience. The precautionary position is to treat European eels as sentient animals deserving humane slaughter and to reduce consumption given the conservation crisis.

What You Can Do

Avoid eating European eel (anguilla) products — this is simultaneously a welfare and conservation choice.
Support European eel recovery programmes that protect migratory routes and spawning grounds.
Advocate for mandatory pre-slaughter electrical stunning requirements for eels in aquaculture regulations.
If you fish for eels recreationally, use humane dispatch methods and follow catch limits strictly.
Donate to eel conservation research addressing migration barriers and population monitoring.