Alaska Pollock (Gadus Chalcogrammus)

Biology and Habitat

Species description
The Alaska pollock belongs to the family of Gadidae.

Geographical distribution and habitat
The Alaska pollock can be found in the North Pacific, which is also known as FAO fishing area 67, with largest concentrations found in the Eastern Bering Sea.

Resource, exploitation and management

Production methods and fishing gear
The main fishing gears used are bottom pair trawls, gillnets and similar nets, hooks and lines, seines and trawls. Alaska pollock fishery is managed through a quota system.

Source: Information system on commercial designations
 

Catches

Evolution of world catches

• Alaska pollock is the second most important species in the world in terms of total catches. In 2023, it represented 4% in the global catches.
• Global catches have been increasing over the last decade (+9% from 2014 to 2023), they reached 3,5 million tonnes in 2023.
• In 2023, Russia and the United States of America provided 93% of the world catches.

Source: FAO

Evolution of EU catches

No catch of Alaska pollock is recorded in the EU.

Aquaculture production

No aquaculture production has been developed for Alaska pollock in the EU.

Processing

• Alaska pollock is mostly used in the processing industry to produce fish fillets in batter and fish fingers, surimi and prepared meals, fresh or frozen. There is no catch of Alaska pollock in the EU and the raw material is imported as frozen fillet blocks and frozen minced meat.
• There is no specific statistic on the EU production of processed products specifically from Alaska pollock. An estimation of surimi production is provided below based on statistics on imported raw material of the species Alaska pollock.
• In the EU, surimi production is mostly based on Alaska pollock and blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) and is dependent on imports of raw surimi-material (called surimi-base), mostly from the United States of America. Only one producer of surimi-base, located in France, exists in the EU and supplies primarily the French industry. Imports of surimi-base of Alaska pollock reached 30.177 tonnes in 2024. Assuming that all the surimi-base imported is used for the production of prepared surimi, with an incorporation rate of 33%, the EU production of surimi (from raw-material of Alaska pollock) can be estimated to over 90.530 tonnes. The main producers were France (over 42.000 tonnes in 2024), followed by Lithuania (almost 29.000 tonnes) and Spain (over 18.000 tonnes).

Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Trade

Combined nomenclature

Alaska pollock was mostly imported as frozen fillets (81% of imports) or frozen surimi (11%). Main extra-EU suppliers were the United States (43% of imports volume), Russia (35%) and China (22%).

Main importers in the EU included Germany - which is a major producer of breaded fish and fish fingers (38% of EU imports), France (21%), the Netherlands (12%) and Poland (11%).

Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Alaska pollock EU-exports were mainly frozen fillets. However, the EUROSTAT-COMEXT categories include species other than Alaska pollock (pollack and other groundfish). Exports data for these products are not provided above.

Supply balance

EU supply balance (2023) – Tonnes of live weight equivalent - Alaska pollock

Source: FAO/ EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Supply balance is provided for the year 2023 (trade data for 2023 were taken into account). Detailed trade data provided in the slide 4 concern the year 2024.
The conversion factors were used to convert net weight of imports and exports of fishery and aquaculture products into live weight equivalents.
Exports are underestimated as a share of exports are made prepared-preserved. These products are provided under EUROSTAT-COMEXT categories which include several species other than Alaska pollock.

Prices along the supply chain (EUR/kg)

First-sale
Alaska pollock is not caught by the EU fleet, therefore there is no landing of Alaska pollock in the EU.

Wholesale
Wholesale prices are reported for Mercamadrid, major wholesale market in the EU.

(*) From January to October 2025

Extra-EU import (frozen fillets)
Alaska pollock is mainly imported as frozen fillets (81% of imports’ volume). Germany, France and the Netherlands are the main extra-EU importers in the EU (71% of EU imported volumes in 2024).

(*) From January to September 2025

Extra-EU export (frozen fillets)
Germany and the Netherlands are the main extra-EU exporters in the EU (together, they covered 65% of EU exported volumes of frozen fillets of Alaska pollock in 2024).

(*) From January to Semptember 2025

Marketing

National lists of commercial designations

Information system on commercial designations and scientific names in all EU languages

Consumption

Third most consumed species in the EU after tuna and salmon (source: : The EU Fish Market – 2025 edition, EUMOFA)

Apparent consumption per capita in 2023: 1,78 kg live weight equivalent (source: Supply balance - 2023, EUMOFA)

Nutritional value (Alaska pollock, nutrition values per serving 100 g)