Farmed Eel Welfare: Addressing the Most Neglected Major Aquaculture Species

European and Asian eels are farmed in large numbers but have some of the poorest welfare documentation and standards of any major aquaculture species. The welfare case for improvement is strong.

Key Facts

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is critically endangered in the wild but produced in aquaculture using wild-caught glass eels
Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) is the primary Asian aquaculture eel species, also dependent on wild-caught juveniles
Eel farming relies entirely on wild-caught juveniles as eel reproduction in captivity remains technically elusive
Stocking densities in intensive eel aquaculture can be extremely high, creating significant behavioral and physiological stress
Eels exhibit escape behaviors in captivity and require high-security housing to prevent loss
Slaughter methods for eels in many countries involve prolonged suffering through salt bathing or cutting without prior stunning
Welfare research for eels is extremely limited compared to salmon or trout, creating significant evidence gaps

Welfare Considerations

Farmed eel welfare represents a confluence of welfare problems: poor documentation, minimal regulation, high welfare-relevant density, and slaughter methods that would not be acceptable for any other commonly farmed vertebrate. The reliance on wild-caught juveniles adds a conservation dimension - the welfare of individual farm eels is inseparable from the population-level welfare of wild eels whose glass eel recruitment is being intercepted. Eels' relatively poor welfare research base compared to salmonids means that evidence-based improvement is hampered by lack of validated welfare indicators and optimal husbandry knowledge. The welfare case for improving eel farming standards is strong, but requires investment in the basic welfare science that is largely absent for this species.

What You Can Do

Reduce eel consumption given the combination of conservation concerns about wild eel populations and poor farming welfare standards
Support research into eel welfare indicators and humane slaughter methods as a foundation for improving standards
Advocate for eel to be included in aquaculture welfare certification schemes with species-appropriate criteria
Ask eel product suppliers about their welfare management practices and whether pre-slaughter stunning is used
Support conservation programs for wild eel populations as the welfare of farmed eels and wild eels are connected through glass eel recruitment