Alaska Pollock- Gulf of Alaska
Certified as sustainable on 27 April 2005.
Re-Certified on 30th September 2010.
The Conformity Assessment Body, MRAG Americas, Inc., has announced that the Alaska pollock - Gulf of Alaska fishery has entered full reassessment for the second time.
Species: Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma)
Location: Gulf of Alaska
Fishing methods: Trawl
Vessels: Trawl catcher vessels that deliver their catch onshore for processing.
Number of fisheries: 1
Walleye or Alaska pollock are schooling, midwater to bottom-dwelling fish. Pollock live anywhere between shallow, nearshore waters to 1000 metres, but most are found between depths of 100-300 metres. Pollock begin to recruit to the Gulf of Alaska fishery aged 2 and many survive 10 years or more. Seasonal migrations occur from overwintering areas along the outer shelf to shallow waters (90-140 metres) for spawning.
More about the fishing methods
Fishing for Pollock occurs exclusively by trawling. The Gulf of Alaska fleet uses mainly pelagic trawling, with about 90% of the catch taken by mid-water trawls.
In 2012 green weight landed was 98,975 metric tonnes
The primary markets for Alaska pollock products are Japan, the US and Europe. Japan is the principal market for surimi (minced fish) and roe products. The US and Europe are the main markets for fillet-type products. Fillets are used for fish and chips and fish fingers; surimi is used for imitation crab and similar products.