One Fish, Three Billion Pounds, Thousands of Jobs
One Fish, Three Billion Pounds, Thousands of Jobs
Most people couldn’t identify pollock on their plate, yet it holds up more of Alaska’s economy than any other fish in the water. Watch how one fish moves from the Bering Sea to grocery stores, school lunches, and thousands of paychecks across the state.
Here are some key takeaways:
- Alaska harvests about 5 billion pounds of seafood every year
- Pollock accounts for 60% of that total harvest
- Pollock makes up 75% of everything caught using trawl gear
- The fishery supports roughly 6,300 jobs across Alaska
- It generated $832 million in economic output for Alaska in 2023
How the Fishery Works
Alaska pollock is concentrated in the Bering Sea. Because pollock gather in large schools, they’re well suited to midwater trawling, the method responsible for the vast majority of Alaska’s seafood harvest.
Before any boat leaves the dock, scientists set harvest limits based on population surveys and stock assessments. Every Bering Sea pollock boat is electronically monitored or carries a trained observer, and less than 1% of the catch is made up of other species. Pollock stocks are healthy, and they’re being fished at sustainable levels.
About half the catch is processed at sea, and half moves through shoreside plants in coastal communities. From there, pollock travels farther than almost any other American-caught fish, feeding people across the country and around the world.
Benefits Beyond Boats
Pollock functions as the anchor tenant for Alaska’s seafood industry. It’s the steady demand that keeps marine cargo shippers, fuel distributors, and passenger airlines running on schedule, including air service to remote communities that depend on it.
Sixty-five Western Alaska communities participate in the fishery through the Community Development Quota program, giving them direct ownership and a stake in the businesses the fishery supports. Revenue flows back into education, workforce training, and local infrastructure, reaching well beyond the harvest itself.
It’s not glamorous, but pollock is the fish holding Alaska’s coastal economy together.