Alaska pollock, Walleye pollock | Good Fish Guide | The consumer guide to sustainable seafood

Alaska pollock, Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma)

Common name - Alaska pollock, Walleye pollock

Scientific name - Theragra chalcogramma

Average rating

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Consumer Information

If you like cod or haddock, you'll like Alaska pollock. A member of the cod family, it is found throughout the north Pacific. It grows rapidly, maturing at around 3-4 years old. Can grow to about 90cm and attain ages of 15-17 years. It is also called walleye pollock because of its large distinctive eyes. You should eat it from MSC certified Alaskan fisheries only - look for the Blue Tick logo on the packaging - as these fisheries are well managed. Make sure it's not from illegal Russian Far East fisheries. It's a white fish, mild in flavour and low in fat. Makes great fishcakes, is best steamed and is the fish used in McDonald's "Filet-O-Fish"!

Summary

Alaskan pollock fisheries are well managed by a system of Total Allowable Catches and quotas. Although bycatch can be problematic in pelagic mid-water trawl fisheries, measures are in place to reduce impact of the fishery on protected species. In the Western Bering Sea and Okhotsk Sea the stock appears healthy but, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a problem. The U.S. managed Alaska pollock fisheries in the eastern Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska fisheries were certified to the MSC Standard in 2005 and are the best choice when eating Alaska pollock. The Russian pollock fisheries are not certified.

Alternatives

(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)

Alaska pollock, Walleye pollock
Coley, Saithe
Haddock
Hake, Cape
Pouting or Bib
Whiting

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