Farmed eels rely on wild-caught glass eels as stock since captive breeding is not yet possible. This creates both conservation and welfare concerns throughout the production chain.
Eel farming represents one of the clearest cases where individual fish welfare and species conservation concerns align. Because eels cannot yet be bred in captivity, farming depends entirely on wild-caught juveniles — directly depleting wild populations already in crisis. Glass eels captured during their estuarine migration are small, fragile, and sensitive to handling stress. Transport and stocking into aquaculture facilities causes significant mortality and welfare harm. Once established in farms, eels face typical aquaculture welfare challenges of crowding, water quality management, and pre-slaughter stress. From a welfare and conservation perspective, reducing eel consumption is the clearest response to both individual and population-level concerns.