Eels are farmed at industrial scale in Asia and Europe but are among the most welfare-neglected farmed fish. Their complex biology and high sensitivity to stress make their welfare particularly challenging.
Eel farming sits at the intersection of multiple welfare concerns: capture of wild juveniles from already depleted populations, transport stress, high-density farming conditions, and slaughter methods that vary widely in humaneness. Eels are sensitive, long-lived fish capable of significant stress responses. The failure to establish captive breeding for commercial production means every farmed eel began its life as a wild animal subject to collection stress. Welfare improvements — better stunning, lower density, improved water quality management — are achievable and increasingly demanded by concerned consumers, but regulatory standards remain minimal.