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Yellowtail

At a glance

	Eco-rating	Mercury
+-Yellowtail (wild, Isla Natividad, Mexico)	Best	Unknown
MORE ABOUT YELLOWTAIL Yellowtail survive only within a certain temperature range (12-30 degrees C) and thus mostly occur in tropical or warm temperate waters. They grow up to 80 inches (200 cm) and weigh as much as 130 pounds (60 kg). They feed on mackerels, sardines, squid and crustaceans. Commercial Sources Yellowtail are farmed commercially in Japan, Australia, and now the U.S. The majority of yellowtail on the U.S. market comes from Japan. Capture Methods Most commercial yellowtail is farmed in Japan. Since the 1960s, wild yellowtail populations in Japan have been in decline. The yellowtail farming industry in Japan uses mostly wild-caught sardines as a food source; populations of sardines are also declining in Japanese waters. Fish farms in Japan have serious problems with disease and pollution. Laws are in place to improve farming practices, but effective management is a concern. Australia's farming practices use fewer wild fish for feed than Japan does, but the amount of wild-caught fish used is still high.
+-Yellowtail (wild, US, handline)	Best	Unknown
MORE ABOUT YELLOWTAIL Yellowtail survive only within a certain temperature range (12-30 degrees C) and thus mostly occur in tropical or warm temperate waters. They grow up to 80 inches (200 cm) and weigh as much as 130 pounds (60 kg). They feed on mackerels, sardines, squid and crustaceans. Commercial Sources Yellowtail are farmed commercially in Japan, Australia, and now the U.S. The majority of yellowtail on the U.S. market comes from Japan. Capture Methods Most commercial yellowtail is farmed in Japan. Since the 1960s, wild yellowtail populations in Japan have been in decline. The yellowtail farming industry in Japan uses mostly wild-caught sardines as a food source; populations of sardines are also declining in Japanese waters. Fish farms in Japan have serious problems with disease and pollution. Laws are in place to improve farming practices, but effective management is a concern. Australia's farming practices use fewer wild fish for feed than Japan does, but the amount of wild-caught fish used is still high.
+-Yellowtail (wild, US, gillnet)	OK	Unknown
MORE ABOUT YELLOWTAIL Yellowtail survive only within a certain temperature range (12-30 degrees C) and thus mostly occur in tropical or warm temperate waters. They grow up to 80 inches (200 cm) and weigh as much as 130 pounds (60 kg). They feed on mackerels, sardines, squid and crustaceans. Commercial Sources Yellowtail are farmed commercially in Japan, Australia, and now the U.S. The majority of yellowtail on the U.S. market comes from Japan. Capture Methods Most commercial yellowtail is farmed in Japan. Since the 1960s, wild yellowtail populations in Japan have been in decline. The yellowtail farming industry in Japan uses mostly wild-caught sardines as a food source; populations of sardines are also declining in Japanese waters. Fish farms in Japan have serious problems with disease and pollution. Laws are in place to improve farming practices, but effective management is a concern. Australia's farming practices use fewer wild fish for feed than Japan does, but the amount of wild-caught fish used is still high.
+-Yellowtail (farmed, Australia, Japan)	Worst	Unknown
MORE ABOUT FARMED YELLOWTAIL Yellowtail survive only within a certain temperature range (12-30 degrees C) and thus mostly occur in tropical or warm temperate waters. They grow up to 80 inches (200 cm) and weigh as much as 130 pounds (60 kg). They feed on mackerels, sardines, squid and crustaceans. Commercial Sources Yellowtail are farmed commercially in Japan, Australia, and now the U.S. The majority of yellowtail on the U.S. market comes from Japan. Capture Methods Most commercial yellowtail is farmed in Japan. Since the 1960s, wild yellowtail populations in Japan have been in decline. The yellowtail farming industry in Japan uses mostly wild-caught sardines as a food source; populations of sardines are also declining in Japanese waters. Fish farms in Japan have serious problems with disease and pollution. Laws are in place to improve farming practices, but effective management is a concern. Australia's farming practices use fewer wild fish for feed than Japan does, but the amount of wild-caught fish used is still high.

Recommended servings per month

	Contaminant	Men	Women	Kids 6-12	Kids 0-5
Yellowtail (farmed, Australia, Japan)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+
Yellowtail (wild, Isla Natividad, Mexico)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+
Yellowtail (wild, US, handline)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+
Yellowtail (wild, US, gillnet)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+

Eco details:

For more information on the environmental impacts of yellowtail fishing and farming, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch® program.

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More about Yellowtail

Yellowtail survive only within a certain temperature range (12-30 degrees C) and thus mostly occur in tropical or warm temperate waters.

They grow up to 80 inches (200 cm) and weigh as much as 130 pounds (60 kg). They feed on mackerels, sardines, squid and crustaceans.

Commercial Sources

Yellowtail are farmed commercially in Japan, Australia, and now the U.S. The majority of yellowtail on the U.S. market comes from Japan.

Capture Methods

This species comes primarily from fish farms. They are raised in floating cages, or netpens.

Yellowtail

At a glance

MORE ABOUT YELLOWTAIL

Commercial Sources

Capture Methods

MORE ABOUT YELLOWTAIL

Commercial Sources

Capture Methods

MORE ABOUT YELLOWTAIL

Commercial Sources

Capture Methods

MORE ABOUT FARMED YELLOWTAIL

Commercial Sources

Capture Methods

Recommended servings per month

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