Eel slaughter methods vary widely and many common practices are associated with prolonged consciousness and significant suffering before death.
Eel slaughter welfare represents one of the most challenging welfare frontiers in aquaculture. Eels' unusual physiology - their ability to survive hypoxia and their sensitivity to electrical current - means that methods effective for other fish species may be ineffective or counterproductive for eels. The welfare science is clear that many conventional eel slaughter practices cause prolonged suffering before death. The combination of poor pre-slaughter welfare and conservation concerns about the species creates a strong case for dramatically reduced consumption while slaughter welfare research and regulation catch up with the scale of the industry.