Alaska Pollock

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 Bering Sea.

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

• 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.

• 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.

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

• 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.

• Commercial fishery:
  • The Alaska pollock fishery is one of the most valuable in the world.
  • In 2018, commercial landings of Alaska pollock from the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska totaled more than 3.36 billion pounds and were valued at more than $490.8 million.
  • In 2017, products made from pollock were valued at more than $1 billion. A quarter of pollock products are surimi (imitation crab), almost one-fifth is roe (eggs), and close to half are fillets.
  • The majority of the U.S. catch of pollock comes from the Bering Sea.
• Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch:
  • In the United States, pollock are caught by trawlers that tow a large cone-shaped net through the mid-water.
  • Less than 1 percent of the total catch in the Alaska pollock fishery is made up of other species.
  • Bycatch of Pacific salmon is a particular concern because of its importance to commercial and subsistence fisheries. The relative impact of the pollock fishery on critical salmon runs has been estimated to be relatively low, especially since 2007.
  • 100 percent of pollock fishing boats in the Bering Sea carry scientifically trained observers.  They carefully monitor and count all Pacific salmon caught incidentally in the pollock nets. These salmon have never been allowed to be landed or sold by the pollock fishery but, when feasible, they are donated to local Alaska food banks.
  • The North Pacific Fishery Management Council implemented measures in 2011 to increase incentives for fishermen to further reduce Chinook salmon bycatch.
  • The pollock industry has developed several innovative approaches to meet these new requirements, including using NOAA Fisheries Observer program data to close salmon bycatch hotspots to fishing on a weekly basis and testing a new salmon excluder device for trawl nets.

  • The Council improved the management of Chinook and chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea by creating a comprehensive salmon bycatch avoidance program in 2016, and continues to examine additional measures to minimize salmon bycatch.