Farmed Eel Welfare: The Hidden Welfare Crisis in Eel Aquaculture

Eel aquaculture depends entirely on wild-caught juvenile eels due to unsuccessful captive breeding, creating unsustainable and welfare-problematic supply chains for this vulnerable species.

Key Facts

Both European and Japanese eels are critically endangered, yet eel aquaculture continues to depend on wild glass eel capture
Glass eels captured from the wild undergo significant mortality and stress during capture, transport, and farm adaptation
The European eel population has declined by over 90 per cent since the 1970s, driven partly by eel aquaculture demand
Captive breeding of eels has not been achieved commercially despite decades of research
Farmed eels are held at high densities and killed primarily by chilling or by being processed live without effective stunning
The eel's complex life history including long-distance ocean migration cannot be provided for in captivity
Several European countries have restricted glass eel capture to protect declining wild populations

Welfare Considerations

Eel aquaculture presents a compounded welfare problem: wild eels are captured at a vulnerable juvenile stage and farmed in conditions entirely unlike their natural environment, without the ability to complete their natural lifecycle including oceanic migration. The process of capturing glass eels and adapting them to captive conditions involves significant mortality and stress. Throughout their farm lives, eels are held at densities and in conditions that prevent natural behaviour. Slaughter without effective stunning causes welfare concern. The broader welfare concern is that eel aquaculture is driving wild eel populations toward extinction, representing a collective welfare harm of enormous magnitude. Reducing eel consumption and advocating against eel aquaculture expansion are the most welfare-effective actions available to consumers.

What You Can Do

Avoid eating farmed or wild-caught eel products given the conservation and welfare concerns
Learn about the critical conservation status of European and Japanese eels
Support organisations campaigning for stronger glass eel capture restrictions to protect wild populations
Advocate against eel aquaculture expansion until captive breeding and sustainable supply chains are available
Raise awareness about eel welfare and conservation among seafood-consuming friends and family