Eels present a complex welfare case for aquaculture, combining significant evidence for pain sensitivity with major scientific gaps in understanding their specific welfare needs during intensive farming.
Farmed eel welfare combines significant uncertainty with concerning practices. Eels demonstrate behavioral indicators of stress and pain sensitivity consistent with other fish species, yet welfare research specific to eels is limited compared to salmonids. Key concerns include reliance on wild capture for stock (harming wild populations), inadequate killing methods in many facilities, high stocking density causing chronic stress and aggression, and the absence of welfare standards in most eel farming jurisdictions. The critically endangered status of European eel adds a conservation dimension to welfare concerns.