European and Japanese eels are critically threatened species. Eel farming relies entirely on wild-caught juveniles, creating both conservation and welfare concerns throughout the supply chain.
Eel farming occupies a uniquely problematic position in aquaculture: it is the only major farmed fish species where production is entirely dependent on wild-caught juveniles, making it impossible to separate farming welfare from conservation impact. The welfare of farmed eels involves both the conditions in aquaculture facilities and the capture, transport, and handling stress experienced during glass eel collection and transfer. Eels are sentient fish with measurable pain responses, yet slaughter methods are often inadequate by comparison with better-regulated species. The killing of European eels — a Critically Endangered species — for luxury food markets creates a welfare problem embedded in a conservation crisis. The most welfare-positive approach to eel is to avoid consumption entirely until both wild population recovery and aquaculture breeding breakthroughs make sustainable production possible.