Wild Eel Conservation and Welfare

European eel populations have crashed by over 90% since the 1980s. Their remarkable life history makes both conservation and welfare considerations uniquely complex.

Key Facts

European eel populations have declined by approximately 95% since the 1960s
Eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea and glass eels travel to European rivers - a journey of thousands of miles
River barriers, habitat degradation, turbine mortality and overfishing all contribute to decline
Eels are critically endangered on the IUCN Red List
The glass eel fishery (catching juvenile eels for restocking or food) remains legal under licence
Turbine mortality during downstream migration is a significant concern at hydropower installations
The full cause of decline is still debated - ocean changes, disease, pollution and fishing all play roles

Welfare Considerations

Eel welfare involves both individual welfare and species-level existential risk. Individual eels passing through turbines are killed or severely injured. Glass eels trapped in commercial fisheries experience handling and transport stress. The near-extinction trajectory of the species means that every individual lost represents an increasingly irreplaceable reproductive unit. Eel passage facilities at river barriers, turbine screens, and restrictions on fishing are both conservation and welfare measures. The welfare of future generations of eels depends entirely on whether current populations are sufficient to maintain the spawning run to the Sargasso Sea.

What You Can Do

Support eel-friendly river management including eel passes at weirs and barriers
Advocate for effective turbine screening at hydropower installations
Support the Eel Conservation Trust and Environment Agency eel stocking programmes
Avoid purchasing European eel products given the critical conservation status
Report eel sightings to contribute to population monitoring data