The Alaska pollock fishing season has opened

Alaska Pollock “A” fishing season runs from late January through April in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska and accounts for 45% of the annual quota for Alaska Pollock in the USA. As a rule, the A Season includes roe harvesting. After green roe is removed from the fish, it is processed into fillets, surimi or other products.

Alaska Pollock is Alaska’s most abundant seafood species. It lives in the Pacific Ocean in its natural habitat like other fish species harvested in Alaska. According to the research by McDowell Group, more than a half of the total fish catch in Alaska accounted for Alaska Pollock in 2011-2015.

Alaska’s successful management practices are considered a model of sustainability for the entire world. Alaska is dedicated to preserving and protecting this superior seafood for future generations. The total allowable catch of Alaska Pollock for 2018 is 1.55 million MT, which is 4.4% lower than it was in 2016.

Alaska processors are careful to extract the maximum value from the harvest and minimize waste. The fish processing industry is highly developed in Alaska. Every tenth Alaska resident works in this field. There are such Alaska Pollock products as H&G fish, fillet blocks, deep-skinned fillets in blocks, mince, skinless/boneless fillets, IQF and in shatterpack, surimi, roe. New innovations in product types to maximize use of the Alaska Pollock are constantly being investigated.

In 2017, the export of Alaska Pollock and Alaska Pollock products amounted to 382,000 MT or 44% of the Alaska Pollock world market.  Alaska Pollock is one of the top 5 fish species imported from Alaska to the Ukrainian market. H&G Alaska Pollock, surimi and Alaska Pollock roe are supplied to Ukraine at the moment. Frozen Alaska Pollock is available to consumers all year round. If you are looking for a product rich in healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, fish and seafood from Alaska cold waters are your choice.

The material is prepared by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).

More information: https://eeu.alaskaseafood.org/;  www.alaskaseafood.org