The European eel is critically endangered and faces welfare challenges across its extraordinary life cycle. Barriers, fisheries, and poor slaughter conditions compound the crisis.
Eel welfare is complicated by their unusual biology and the controversy over fish sentience, but evidence of nociception supports welfare protection. Turbine mortality causes acute trauma. Asphyxiation slaughter is prolonged. The combination of population collapse and welfare failures makes eel one of the highest-priority aquatic animal welfare issues. Eel passage infrastructure and humane slaughter requirements are both urgently needed.