Alaska Pollock

About the Species

Alaska pollock—also known as walleye pollock—is a key species in the Alaska groundfish complex and a target species for one of the world's largest fisheries. Pollock is a semipelagic schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean with largest concentrations in the eastern Bearing Sea.

U.S. wild-caught Alaska pollock is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Status

• The 2018 stock assessments for the Aleutian Islands, Eastern Bering Sea, and Western/Central/West Yakutat Gulf of Alaska indicate that pollock stocks are not overfished.
• In the eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, pollock spawning biomass is estimated to be above the target level.
• To assess the health of the pollock population, scientists estimate the female spawning biomass—a measure of the pollock stock’s ability to reproduce.
• Regulations for the pollock fishery aim to conserve the spawning population to ensure pollock can successfully reproduce and keep the population size at healthy levels.
• The overfished status for the Bogoslof and Southeast Gulf of Alaska stocks is unknown. These areas are also closed to fishing for pollock with trawl gear.
• No stocks are currently subject to overfishing.

 

Protected Status

Appearance

• Pollock is a member of the cod family.
• They can grow as long as 3 feet but typically reach lengths between 12 and 20 inches and weigh between 1 and 3 pounds.
• They have speckled coloring that helps them blend in with the seafloor to avoid predators.

Biology

• Alaska pollock grow fast and have a relatively short life span of about 12 years.
• As a result, they are generally more productive compared to slower growing, longer living species.
• Some pollock begin to reproduce by the age of 3 or 4 and are extremely fertile, so each generation replaces aging or harvested fish in just a few years.
• In the spring, pollock migrate inshore to shallow water to breed and feed.
• They move back to warmer, deeper waters in the winter months.
• The survival of young pollock depends on several factors, such as the availability of food, environmental conditions, and predation.
• Their survival rate is highly variable, which can potentially cause large fluctuations in the abundance of pollock in a matter of a few years.
• Juvenile pollock eat zooplankton (tiny floating animals) and small fish.
• Older pollock feed on other fish, including juvenile pollock.
• Many other species—including Steller sea lions and other marine mammals, fish, and seabirds—feed on pollock and rely on them for survival.

Where They Live

• Alaska pollock are found throughout the North Pacific Ocean but are most common in the Bering Sea.

Management

• NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council manage the Alaska pollock fishery.
• Managed under the Groundfish Fishery Management Plans for the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands: 
  • The Alaska pollock fishery is a great example of how science-based management and monitoring can help ensure the long-term sustainability of the resource.
  • The Bering Sea fishery is one of the first U.S. fisheries to be managed with catch shares and is often considered one of the best-managed fisheries in the world.