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Mahi Mahi


Latin name: Coryphaena hippurus


Common name: Dolphinfish

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Wild Caught

Region:
Eastern Australia

Key Facts

  • Mahi mahi is a migratory species caught by a number of different countries, including Australia
  • The vast majority of Australian-caught mahi mahi is a byproduct of Australia’s largest tuna fishery off our east coast
  • Sufficient action has not been taken to prevent the bycatch of turtles, such as the critically endangered West Pacific leatherback turtles which are at high risk from this fishery
  • Mahi mahi populations are poorly understood, but this very fast growing and short lived species is likely highly resilient to fishing pressure and there is confidence that populations are healthy
  • Mahi mahi are caught on longlines that also catch endangered wildlife, such as turtles, seabirds, whales and dolphins
  • Video monitoring of all fishing boats operating in the fishery is a welcome advance, improving confidence in fishery log book reports
  • The Australian tuna fishing industry has lobbied extensively to open protected marine sanctuaries to their fishing with some success. This shows a disappointing lack of environmental leadership

More information

  • Commonwealth Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (ETBF) – (143t in 2024)

Mahi mahi is a highly migratory species found throughout all tropical and subtropical ocean basins. They are very fast growing and short-lived, characteristics that provide resilience against overfishing.

Mahi mahi is not specifically targeted by commercial fishers, but is taken as a secondary species in a tuna longline fishery that operates off the eastern Australian coast.

The eastern and western mahi mahi populations are poorly understood, but low catches in the ETBF and the highly resilient life history characteristics of the fishery give confidence that populations are healthy.

Mahi mahi are caught using longlines in Australian waters, which also catch a range of threatened species. Turtles, whales, dolphins and seabirds are at risk from multiple threats, including fishing. It is imperative that cumulative impacts are considered, and that fisheries are precautionary when reacting to threatened species interactions.

Independent video monitoring across the fishing fleet was rolled out in 2015. This best practice management measure provides confidence in reporting of wildlife affected by the fishery. However, video monitoring identified significant under-reporting of deaths of endangered wildlife in the past.

Thanks to the now reliable bycatch data, managers have been able to identify several species at high risk from this fishery including turtles, albatrosses and marine mammals.

However, even after 10 years of reliable data, there has been no effective effort from industry or managers to protect most bycatch species.

Of particular concern, this fishery has reported bycatch of between 13-35 critically endangered leatherback turtles per year since 2020. There are only around 1400 mature nesters thought to be left in the population impacted by the fishery, and it is declining at around 6% annually.

In comparison, a US-managed longline fishery that impacts the same leatherback turtle population closes when yearly bycatch reaches 16 leatherbacks.

This fishery has been aware of these turtles being caught for several years and has made no significant changes to their operation.

In contrast, better protection arrangements and obligations on the fishery to protect seabirds have resulted in additional management that should effectively reduce the impact of the fishery.

Marine sanctuaries, areas where fishing is not allowed, provide valuable protection to species, allowing for greater confidence in surrounding fisheries.

The Australian tuna fishing industry has extensively lobbied for the removal of marine sanctuary protection in areas where they want to fish. They have been successful on multiple occasions.

Marine sanctuaries are a fundamental part of healthy oceans, and their targeted reduction is not in the best interest of the ocean or the industry. This continued effort to undermine marine sanctuaries is a disappointing lack of environmental stewardship.