Eel farming faces major animal welfare and sustainability challenges, with European eel critically endangered and all farmed eels dependent on wild-caught juveniles.
Farmed eel welfare is intertwined with major sustainability concerns, as the industry depends entirely on wild populations already in severe decline. Within farms, eels require careful water quality management and are susceptible to stress from handling and overcrowding. Humane slaughter methods are not yet standardised. From a welfare perspective, reducing demand for eel products simultaneously addresses wild population pressure and farmed welfare concerns.