Eels are among the most welfare-neglected farmed fish species, with a global industry relying on wild-caught juvenile eels and farming systems with minimal welfare standards.
Farmed eel welfare sits at the intersection of conservation crisis and welfare neglect. European eel populations have crashed by over 95% since the 1980s, yet glass eel capture for aquaculture continues. In farming systems, eels are held at high density in conditions that prevent all natural behavior. Unlike salmon, there has been little welfare research investment in eels, leaving even basic welfare needs poorly understood. The combination of wild population collapse, a farming system dependent on wild capture, and minimal welfare standards makes eel one of the most complex and challenging seafood welfare cases.