European eels are critically endangered, and their farming raises both conservation and welfare concerns given their complex life history and the stress of captive conditions.
Eel welfare is a particularly complex case where conservation and welfare concerns intersect. Wild juvenile eels are caught for aquaculture, reducing an already critically endangered population. These juveniles are then kept in high-density systems that cause crowding stress. At slaughter, methods without effective stunning cause prolonged suffering. The lack of captive reproduction means eel aquaculture is also unsustainable from a conservation perspective. Reducing eel consumption is one of the most straightforward actions addressing both welfare and conservation harm simultaneously.