European eel aquaculture operates under significant welfare and sustainability concerns, with the wild population critically endangered and farming practices largely unregulated.
Eel welfare in aquaculture is largely unaddressed by existing welfare standards and certification systems. The reliance on wild-caught juveniles creates additional conservation concerns beyond farm welfare. Crowding stress causes immune suppression, aggression, and skin damage. At slaughter, many operations still use live chilling in ice slurry, which causes prolonged conscious stress before death. Welfare improvement requires both regulatory standards and consumer pressure for certified alternatives.