European eels are critically endangered partly due to glass eel capture for aquaculture. The welfare of eels in farming systems and the ecological consequences of glass eel trade deserve scrutiny.
European eel welfare involves both individual animals in farming conditions and the population-level welfare consequences of intensive glass eel capture on a critically endangered species. Glass eels captured in estuaries experience transport stress with significant mortality rates before reaching farms. Farming conditions including very high density, poor water quality management, and artificial photoperiod manipulation to accelerate growth cause chronic stress throughout production. The fundamental challenge of eel aquaculture is its total dependence on wild capture for seed stock, meaning welfare improvements in farming do not address the wild eel welfare and conservation crisis. Restoring wild eel populations through river connectivity, barrier removal, and reduced exploitation addresses both welfare and conservation simultaneously.