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Marlin

Marlin

Striped marlin, © Amadeo Bachar

At a glance

	Eco-rating	Mercury	Omega-3s
+-Blue marlin	OK	Elevated
MORE ABOUT BLUE MARLIN Like all the marlins, the blue marlin is distinguished by its characteristic spiked horn and pointed fins. This solitary predator is found in the subtropical waters of the world's oceans. It can grow to over 16 feet (five meters) in length and weigh 1800 pounds. Commercial Sources Blue marlin are found in the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The main sources of blue marlin are Japan and Brazil. Capture Methods Blue marlin come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with longlines. Additional types of fishing gear include gillnets.
+-Blue marlin (imported)	Worst	Elevated
MORE ABOUT BLUE MARLIN Like all the marlins, the blue marlin is distinguished by its characteristic spiked horn and pointed fins. This solitary predator is found in the subtropical waters of the world's oceans. It can grow to over 16 feet (five meters) in length and weigh 1800 pounds. Commercial Sources Blue marlin are found in the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The main sources of blue marlin are Japan and Brazil. Capture Methods Blue marlin come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with longlines. Additional types of fishing gear include gillnets.
+-Striped marlin	Worst	Elevated
MORE ABOUT STRIPED MARLIN Like all the marlins, the striped marlin is distinguished by its characteristic spiked horn and pointed fins. This solitary predator is found in the subtropical waters of the world's oceans. It can grow to over 13 feet (4.2 meters) in length and weigh 900 pounds. Commercial Sources Striped marlin are found in the tropical, subtropical and temperate waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. In the Pacific, their distribution has a horseshoe pattern that starts in the Northwest, curves around the eastern Pacific, off Central America, and ends in the Southwest. In the Indian Ocean, however, populations of striped marlin are more densely distributed around equatorial waters. The main source of striped marlin is Japan. Capture Methods Striped marlin come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with longlines. Additional types of fishing gear include seines and harpoons.
+-White marlin	Unrated	Elevated
MORE ABOUT WHITE MARLIN The Atlantic white marlin has a sharp bill and pointed fins like all marlins. This highly migratory, deep-water species follows the seasons to warmer waters. White marlin can grow to 10 feet (three meters) in length. Commercial Sources White marlin are found in the South Atlantic Ocean. The main source of white marlin is Brazil. Capture Methods White marlin come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with longlines. Additional types of fishing gear include gillnets.

Recommended servings per month

	Contaminant	Men	Women	Kids 6-12	Kids 0-5
Blue marlin	Mercury	< 1	0	0	0
Blue marlin (imported)	Mercury	< 1	0	0	0
Striped marlin	Mercury	< 1	0	0	0
White marlin	Mercury	< 1	0	0	0

Eco details:

Marlin are rarely sought by commercial fishers but often end up as unintended targets (bycatch) of tuna and swordfish longline fisheries.
There has been little study on the abundance of marlins, but most scientists believe that all marlin species are in decline from being heavily fished and poorly managed worldwide.