Pollock behavior changing as climate warms?

A recent article by Nat Herz at KTOO public media reports on a trend both pollock skippers and scientists are observing. The distribution of Alaska pollock during the summer season is changing drastically which has forced commercial fishers to explore areas they have not fished previously. Last summer temperatures in the Bering Sea were nearly 9 degrees higher than normal. The article has a great overview of the Pollock fishery and how the warming climate may be responsible for the changes being observed.

https://www.ktoo.org/2019/02/06/as-the-bering-sea-warms-this-skipper-is-chasing-pollock-to-new-places/

Sexyback for Alaska Pollock?

A recent article on Undercurrent News does a fantastic job describing the current market outlook for Alaska Pollock. At the Global Seafood Market Conference in 2017 Michael Holley, the commodity procurement manager for seafoods with US Foods, appealed to the industry to make pollock sexy. In an epic clapback, Trident’s Torunn Halhjem at the 2019 GSMC declared, “sexy is definitely back for wild Alaska pollock”. The undercurrent article goes in depth into the drivers that are making the current markets and demand so strong.

Trade war between US and China cause increase Russian pollock price

In a news article release by Undercurrent News, Tom Seaman describes the effect that a 25% tariff on Alaska pollock imported to China will mean on Russian pollock prices. Typically at the end of the year, with decreasing supply, headed and gutted pollock prices rise, but the price increase they are observing appears to be caused by chinese buyers reluctant to purchase from US sources amid the possibility of a ~25% tariff.

Trident Seafoods is developing the wild Alaska pollock market in Japan with new processing plant

A news article by Tom Seaman of undercurrentnews.com released today reports on Trident Seafoods' plan to open a value-added processing plant in Tome Japan. The main goal of the plan is to differentiate single-frozen Alaska fillets from double-frozen Russian fillets processed largely in China. The Undercurrent article features excepts from an interview with Koichi Suzuki, who runs Trident’s Japanese business, and Honomi Sugihira, one of the new plant’s project members and manages overseas public relations. 

Wild-caught in the icy waters of Alaska, Alaska Pollock is one of the most abundant and sustainable seafood species in the world. A cousin to cod and similar in flavor, texture, and appearance, Alaska Pollock's lean, snowy-white meat, delicate texture, and mild flavor make it an extremely versatile and healthy seafood choice. #sustainability #wildalaskapollock #earthday

74 Likes, 1 Comments - Trident Seafoods (@tridentseafoods) on Instagram: "Wild-caught in the icy waters of Alaska, Alaska Pollock is one of the most abundant and sustainable..."

Pollock ranging further north?

The NOAA trawl survey of the southern Bering Sea has completed and preliminary results suggest lower abundances of pollock and cod than anticipated. The Cordova times recently released an article by Margaret Bauman with an interview of Lyle Britt, a research fisheries biologist with NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. Data collected suggest a warming trend and showed pollock collected much further north than expected. Researchers believe that this may be due to the lack of a cold pool that normally functions as a barrier to dispersal. Formal results have yet to be released, but if you are interested in Alaska Research Surveys a wealth of information can be found on NOAA's website. 

Pollock in the Press!

Alaska pollock was recently featured in an article by Laine Welch on Alaska Fish Radio! Alaska pollock remained the top fish catch in the world for the fourth consecutive year. More information can be found in The State of the Wold Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018.