Seafood
Indonesian mahi-mahi
Mahi-mahi, also called dolphinfish or lemadang, is wild-caught across Indonesian waters and sold mostly as frozen loins and portions. It is a species where histamine matters, which makes handling in the first hours after landing the thing that decides whether a lot is usable.
How it leaves the country.
- Loins
- Skinless, boneless, trimmed. The main export form and where the yield decision sits with the plant.
- Portions
- Cut to weight for foodservice. More labour and a price that reflects it.
- Whole gutted
- By size band, for buyers who cut at their end.
How it is graded.
There is no national grade table. Mahi-mahi is contracted on presentation, size band, colour and a histamine standard, and the last one reflects the boat rather than the plant.
- Histamine is a handling question
- It builds when fish is held warm after capture. Nothing at the plant reverses it, so the vessel and the landing practice are what to ask about.
- What to specify
- Presentation, size or weight band, colour standard, glazing percentage, freezing method, and the histamine limit your market applies.
- The plant's system
- HACCP running at the approved establishment is what the export health certificate rests on.1
How it is packed.
- Cold chain
- Held at a temperature named in the contract from the plant onward, with the same attention as tuna.
- Glazing
- The ice layer forms part of the shipped weight, so the percentage is part of the price and belongs in writing.
Where it grows.
Bali and Benoa
Bali
Landing and processing alongside the tuna trade, with the same routes.
North Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Pacific-side fishing with processing built around Bitung.
Maluku
Maluku
Eastern grounds with longer logistics.
Documentation, where applicable.
- Catch certificate
- For the EU. Wild-caught, so the flag state has to validate the catch.2
- Approved establishment number
- The processing plant has to already appear on the EU approved list.1
- Export health certificate
- Issued by the Indonesian competent authority against the destination's public health requirements.1
- Certificate of analysis
- Histamine and microbiological results on the lot that shipped.
Questions buyers ask.
Why does histamine come up on mahi-mahi?
Because it is one of the species where it forms readily if the fish is not chilled fast after capture. It is a boat problem rather than a plant problem, which is why the useful questions are about the fishery and the landing.
Loins or portions?
Loins leave the portioning yield with you and cost less per kilo. Portions arrive ready for a kitchen. Calculate the yield difference before comparing the two prices, because it usually decides the answer.
How does it compare with tuna operationally?
Very similar supply chain and often the same plants and the same routes. If you already buy Indonesian tuna, adding mahi-mahi is usually a small step rather than a new project.
What does your service cost?
Five per cent of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory. A factory audit starts at $250 depending on location. We work with orders from $10,000 per shipment.
Tell us what you need.
Give us the specification and the destination port. We come back with producer options and an indicative price. Our fee is 5 % of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory.
Sources
- 1Entering the European market for fresh tuna. CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Checked 3 August 2026.
- 2Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. EUR-Lex. Checked 3 August 2026.