The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) has set a total allowable catch of 1.35 million metric tons (MT) for the forthcoming Alaska pollock season, up slightly on the 2016 TAC.
The higher quota is set to sustain the pressure on pollock prices, which have been low due to the abundant supply as well as the ongoing Russian food import ban.
In volume terms, pollock is Alaska’s most important fisheries product and the state’s second most important in value, with a total first-sales value of USD 477 million (EUR 450 million) last year. By comparison, Alaska’s salmon catch – its main category – achieved a first-sales value of USD 541 million (EUR 510.4 million).
Russia, meanwhile, has also raised its pollock TAC for 2017 to 1.89 MT.
For 2016, the Groundfish Forum previously estimated the global pollock catch would amount to more than 3.4 million MT with the United States and Canada providing more than 1.5 million MT and Russia accounting for 1.7 million MT. Japan would be the other notable supplier with 195,000 MT this year.
