European eel populations have collapsed by over 95% since the 1970s, making this one of the most severe wildlife population declines in European history. Individual eel welfare and population conservation are deeply intertwined.
European eel welfare combines individual welfare concerns with population crisis at an extreme level. Eels caught in turbines are subjected to physical trauma from blade strikes; those trapped below impassable barriers are denied the opportunity to complete their natural lifecycle and reproduce. The population collapse itself represents a welfare catastrophe at scale - the vast majority of eels that would have existed under natural conditions simply do not survive to adulthood. Restoring eel populations requires coordinated action on migration barriers, fishing pressure, and the broader freshwater habitat quality that determines whether eel rivers can support natural population recovery.