2019 Assessment of the Walleye Pollock Stock in the Gulf of Alaska

Walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) is a semi-pelagic schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean. Pollock in the central and western Gulf of Alaska (GOA) are managed as a single stock independently of pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. The separation of pollock in Alaskan waters into eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska stocks is supported by analysis of larval drift patterns from spawning locations (Bailey et al. 1997), genetic studies of allozyme frequencies (Grant and Utter 1980), mtDNA variability (Mulligan et al. 1992), and microsatellite allele variability (Bailey et al. 1997).

The results of studies of stock structure within the Gulf of Alaska are equivocal. There is evidence from allozyme frequency and mtDNA that spawning populations in the northern part of the Gulf of Alaska (Prince William Sound and Middleton Island) may be genetically distinct from the Shelikof Strait spawning population (Olsen et al. 2002). However significant variation in allozyme frequency was found between Prince William Sound samples in 1997 and 1998, indicating a lack of stability in genetic structure for this spawning population. Olsen et al. (2002) suggest that interannual genetic variation may be due to variable reproductive success, adult philopatry, source-sink population structure, or utilization of the same spawning areas by genetically distinct stocks with different spawning timing. An evaluation of stock structure for Gulf of Alaska pollock following the template developed by NPFMC stock structure working group was provided as an appendix to the 2012 assessment (Dorn et al., 2012). Available information supported the current approach of assessing and managing pollock in the eastern portion of the Gulf of Alaska (Southeast Outside) separately from pollock in the central and western portions of the Gulf of Alaska (Central/Western/West Yakutat). The main part of this assessment deals only with the C/W/WYK stock, while results for a tier 5 assessment for southeast outside pollock are reported in Appendix 1B.