European and Japanese eels are widely consumed yet among the least welfare-researched farmed fish species, with significant concerns across the production cycle.
Eel welfare sits at the intersection of conservation crisis and production welfare neglect. The reliance on wild-caught juveniles to seed aquaculture creates a conservation welfare problem even before the animals enter the farm. On-farm conditions in intensive eel aquaculture are poorly regulated and often involve crowding and practices that cause significant stress. At slaughter, eels have historically been treated as having no welfare interests — a position increasingly at odds with the scientific evidence. Progressive welfare reform must simultaneously address wild capture sustainability, on-farm conditions, and humane slaughter — an integrated challenge that few regulatory frameworks currently meet.