Sustainable mahi mahi buying guide
Consumers are likely more familiar with dolphinfish’s Hawaiian name, mahimahi, but it’s sometimes also called dorado. The culinary name mahi mahi became popular in the 1980s, so consumers didn’t think they were eating dolphins. If you love mahi mahi, you’re good to go when it’s caught by U.S. fisheries. However, almost everything else is considered environmentally unsustainable by Seafood Watch standards.
Quick buying guide
- Buy mahi mahi caught by U.S. fisheries.
- Avoid imported mahi mahi.
What to buy or avoid?
Fresh or frozen mahi mahi
- Buy green-rated mahi mahi caught by U.S. fisheries in the Atlantic with pole-&-lines.
- Buy other U.S. sources of mahi mahi, which are yellow-rated.
- Avoid mahi mahi caught in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Panama, Peru, or Taiwan. In these countries, bycatch impacts and ineffective management are serious concerns.
- Avoid imported mahi mahi caught with drifting longlines or purse seines using FADs because bycatch impacts are significant, and management is ineffective.
More about our mahi mahi recommendations
When is mahi mahi environmentally sustainable?
Mahi mahi rated green by Seafood Watch is the most environmentally sustainable because the fishery has minimal to no impact on other marine life and is managed well. Very few mahi mahi populations have been fully assessed, but they're less susceptible to overfishing because they grow very fast. Currently, only mahi mahi caught by U.S. fisheries with pole-&-lines in the North Atlantic Ocean is rated green.
Mahi mahi rated yellow means management of the fishery is considered moderately effective or better, but bycatch impacts are a significant concern. All other sources of mahi mahi caught by U.S. fisheries are rated yellow.
Mahi mahi rated red by Seafood Watch is not environmentally sustainable because bycatch impacts are significant, and management is considered ineffective. Also, some fisheries target at-risk or overfished tuna species, and mahi mahi are caught alongside them.
What are the main mahi fishing methods?
Mahi mahi is primarily caught using drifting longlines, but it's also harvested with purse seines using FADs. Some fisheries target mahi mahi specifically, while others target tuna and catch mahi mahi and other large pelagic species, too. Drifting longline and FAD purse seine fisheries tend to be the worst bycatch offenders. However, in well-managed fisheries, a variety of measures can greatly reduce the amount of bycatch, even when these methods are used. Handlines and hand-operated pole-&-lines and trolling lines tend to have fewer bycatch impacts.
Here′s a quick look at the methods used to harvest mahi mahi:
- Drifting longlines have a mainline supported by floats and evenly spaced branch lines with baited hooks. They can be up to 50 miles long and have thousands of baited hooks.
- Purse seines using FADs surround mahi mahi with a large wall of netting that closes like a drawstring. Floating objects called fish aggregating devices, or FADs, attract mahi mahi and other species, making them easier to catch.
- Handlines and hand-operated pole-&-lines and trolling lines catch mahi mahi with one or more fishing lines with baited hooks. These fishing methods are also described as pole-&-lines or trolls.
How to use this guide
Our green, yellow, and red ratings indicate environmental risk. We use our ratings and third-party certifications to make our recommendations.
Choose
- Green-rated seafood because environmental risks are low.
- Yellow-rated seafood because environmental risks are moderate.
Avoid
- Red-rated seafood because environmental risks are high, often due to overfishing, poor management, or harm to marine life and habitats.
Where to find sustainable seafood
When shopping or dining out, start by asking, “Do you sell sustainable seafood?” You may need to ask what species it is and where and how it was caught or farmed. If the business can’t answer or the label doesn’t provide this information, our Popular Seafood Guide can help you choose another ocean-friendly option.
More retailers and restaurants are sharing where their seafood comes from and how it was caught. But not all businesses have this information. When you ask questions, you help create demand for sustainable seafood and encourage businesses to offer it.
Grocery stores
We work with grocery stores to implement time-bound commitments to follow Seafood Watch recommendations. MOM’s Organic Market and PCC Community Markets follow our recommendations. Whole Foods Market follows our recommendations for wild seafood and has a proprietary standard for farmed seafood.
Restaurants
We work with major restaurant chains—including California Fish Grill and The Cheesecake Factory—that are implementing their sustainable seafood commitments.
Meal delivery services
Blue Apron and Hello Fresh only send their customers green-rated, yellow-rated, or certified seafood. Other meal delivery services may offer sustainable seafood, and we encourage you to ask them if they don’t.
Explore more species guides
Change & impact
Sustainable catfish & pangasius buying guide
Catfish and pangasius—use this guide to choose wisely.
View this buying guide – Sustainable catfish & pangasius buying guide
Change & impact
Sustainable clams, mussels, oysters & scallops buying guide
Clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops are among the most sustainable seafood choices.
View this buying guide – Sustainable clams, mussels, oysters & scallops buying guide
Change & impact
Sustainable cod & haddock buying guide
Know which cod and haddock to buy and avoid the next time you order fish and chips.
View this buying guide – Sustainable cod & haddock buying guide
Change & impact
Sustainable crab buying guide
Crab can be tricky, but this guide makes it easy to know what to buy and avoid.
View this buying guide – Sustainable crab buying guide