Over 96 percent (or 1.25 million metric tonnes) of the pollock total allowable catch for the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands has been harvested while the Gulf of Alaska has about 85,000 metric tonnes of the TAC remaining. According to UCN reports, the closure of the Central Gulf fisheries means that about 50,000 metric tonnes (or 110 million pounds) of pollock will remain unharvested. Typically, this last hundred-thousand metric tonnes would have been harvested by the end of the pollock B season in October.

On the market side, in July, U.S. pollock fillet exports surged by 64 percent in volume and 50 percent in value year-over-year according to UCN, benefiting from EU trade barriers on Russian and Chinese pollock, which allowed the U.S. to gain market share in Europe. Additionally, more U.S. pollock remained in the domestic market this year.



For Alaska Pacific cod, just over 70 percent of the TAC has been harvested. Based on the fishery’s history of reaching at least 90 percent of its total allowable catch, an estimated 30,000 metric tons (or 66.1 million pounds) remain to be harvested by the end of November.

In Russia's Far East, over 1.6 million metric tons of pollock have been harvested, which is approximately 70 percent of Russia’s TAC - a figure that is 11 percent higher than last year. For Russian Pacific cod, more than 91,000 metric tons have been harvested, amounting to over 62 percent of Russia’s TAC.

According to Alexey Buglak, President of the Pollock Catchers Association, Russian pollock is becoming more significant in the domestic market, with a 6 percent increase in supplies to the domestic market during the first half of 2024. This represents 203,000 tons of various pollock products, which represents 35 percent of the total pollock catch for that period.

This shift is driven by the Far Eastern Pollock program, which focuses on affordable, high-quality fish. A partnership with retail giant X5 and efforts to boost pollock use in restaurants are further increasing accessibility and popularity, supported by new packaging under the "Far Eastern Pollock of the Highest Standard" branding.



Our recommendation is that seafood buyers should act quickly to secure Alaska pollock and cod, as prices are likely to rise with tightening supply.

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