European and Japanese eels are farmed intensively despite being critically endangered in the wild. Their welfare in captivity is poorly studied and their needs are rarely prioritized in commercial systems.
Farmed eel welfare occupies a particularly difficult position at the intersection of severe welfare neglect and conservation crisis. The reliance on wild-caught glass eels means that eel farming simultaneously threatens wild populations and produces animals whose welfare is poorly managed. Intensive recirculating systems at high densities produce chronic stress measurable through behavior and physiology. Slaughter methods for eels — frequently involving salt baths, ice water, or mechanical cutting without prior stunning — are among the most welfare-concerning in aquaculture. The lack of commercial captive breeding means the sector has little incentive to invest in welfare improvements. Consumer reduction in eel consumption, particularly of wild-caught or imported products, reduces pressure on both wild populations and the welfare of farmed animals.