The Alaska Pollock Fishery
Debunking Common Myths
MYTH
TRAWLING | GEAR DESIGN
Trawling destroys the seafloor and marine ecosystems.
FACT
Alaska Pollock is harvested using pelagic trawl gear approved by NOAA fisheries. The gear is fished in a semi-demersal manner both in mid water and on or near the bottom where dense schools are found.
The area disturbed by all fishing gear, including pollock in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska is extremely low at less than 5.2% and 1.3%, respectively.
Seafloor contact with pelagic gear is highly variable, and independent reviews show any habitat impacts from Pollock fishing are minimal and temporary.
The gear’s efficiency limits the amount of time and area disturbed, reducing ecosystem impacts and minimizing bycatch.
The pollock industry is committed to continuous improvement and is conducting rigorous gear research to improve the understanding of gear performance and resulting inputs to regulatory ecosystem and fishing effects reviews.
For more Information about our approach, visit Reducing Bycatch
MYTH
BYCATCH | SALMON DECLINES
The pollock fishery has high levels of bycatch, including salmon.
FACT
The Alaska pollock fishery has a bycatch rate under 1% - one of the lowest globally.
Fleets follow a Salmon Avoidance Plan, including real-time data sharing and area closures to avoid hotspots.
Use of Salmon Excluder Devices lets non-target species escape the nets.
Chinook salmon bycatch has been cut in half under cooperative management.
MYTH
FISHERY BENEFITS WESTERN ALASKA COMMUNITIES
Fishing is why Western Alaska communities are struggling.
FACT
Fishing is a key driver of economic opportunity in Western Alaska.
65 communities benefit directly from the pollock fishery through the CDQ program, which controls 35% of the quota.
CDQ groups invest tens of millions annually in education, job training, infrastructure, and local businesses.
The fishery provides vital revenue, jobs, and support services to rural Alaska.
MYTH
SPORT FISHING CLOSURES
The Alaska pollock fishery is causing sport fishing closures and hurting local anglers.
FACT
There is no scientific evidence linking the Alaska pollock fishery to sport or subsistence fishing closures in river systems.
These closures are managed by the state and driven by in-river escapement issues and warming freshwater conditions, not offshore commercial trawling.
In fact, experts agree that the pollock fishery impacts less than 2% of salmon returns to Western Alaska rivers in most years.
MYTH
CATCH QUOTAS
Catch quotas are manipulated and don't reflect sustainability.
FACT
Pollock quotas are based on robust, peer-reviewed scientific assessments.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council and NOAA set quotas annually using ecosystem-based management and precautionary harvest controls.
This process is considered a global gold standard for sustainable fisheries.
MYTH
HUGE PROFITS | COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | FOREIGN FISHERIES
Most of the profits go to foreign companies or stay in the pockets of a few CEOs.
FACT
The Alaska pollock fishery is U.S.-owned and operated under the American Fisheries Act.
More than 53% of Alaska’s harvesters are residents, and nearly 30,000 American jobs are tied to the fishery.
CDQ communities, local processors, and U.S. workers all benefit - with profits reinvested in Alaska’s coastal economies.
$773 million of economic output was generated in Alaska alone - nearly a third of national total pollock-driven activity.
The Pollock fishery has a multiplier effect in Alaska - income circulates through small businesses, suppliers, and service industries statewide.
MYTH
GREENWASHING | ALASKA POLLOCK SUSTAINABILITY
The fishery is just greenwashing - it’s not truly sustainable.
FACT
Alaska pollock is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and recognized by NOAA for meeting rigorous sustainability benchmarks.
The fishery produces 3+ billion meals per year, many of them for school lunches and food banks.
It’s also one of the lowest-carbon proteins in the world - more sustainable than chicken, pork, beef or plant-based meat.
MYTH
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAs)
Fishing continues in marine protected areas (MPAs) and damages biodiversity.
FACT
The North Pacific features some of the most extensive marine protections in the world.
Over 60% of the U.S. North Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is closed to bottom trawling, and fishing is only allowed in designated areas reviewed every five years.
NOAA-led habitat reviews consistently find negligible biodiversity impacts from the pollock fishery.
Trawling only occurs in a small portion of the Eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska - and is continually reviewed by scientists for ecological impact.
Area-based conservation in the North Pacific is built to meet clear biological objectives, and fishing is intensively managed to support those goals.
MYTH
CATCH REPORTING | TECHNOLOGY
There’s no transparency or accountability in how fish are caught.
FACT
The pollock fishery is one of the most transparent in the world, with 100% federal observer coverage and expanding use of electronic monitoring (EM) systems.
It operates with 100% federal observer coverage or electronic monitoring (EM), providing independent, real-time oversight on all vessels.
Harvests are monitored using GPS, sonar, and live video, with catch data publicly reported and integrated into annual stock assessments.
All management decisions are made through public, science-based processes overseen by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries.
MYTH
Sea Share Partnership
Seafood companies don’t give back - they only take.
FACT
The Alaska pollock fishery is a leader in seafood donation and food equity.
It partners with SeaShare, donating millions of servings to food banks across the U.S.
Alaska pollock is the #5 most consumed seafood in the U.S., and a major source of nutritious protein for families through the National School Lunch Program and hunger relief efforts.