Enhance Sustainability

In addition to federal management regulations, Alaska pollock fishermen have developed a number of voluntary initiatives to enhance the fleet’s ability to maintain a sustainable fishery.

Fishing Cooperatives
Fishermen in each sector of the Bering Sea Alaska pollock fishery have come together to share their sector’s harvesting quota among the participants in the fishery. This system has provided numerous benefits for sustainability. It has reduced the fishing capacity in the fishery, increased product recovery, decreased bycatch, and promoted the development of new products.

SeaState
Although the Alaska pollock fishery has a very low incidence of bycatch, the capture of non-targeted

species, fishermen work together to keep these numbers as low as possible. Using real-time data from the federal fisheries observers and satellite vessel monitoring system (VMS), this industry-funded program evaluates the level of bycatch in specific areas and closes those areas which have higher rates. This program enables the fishery to react quickly to changing ocean conditions and the resulting changes in and concentrations of non-target species.

Salmon Excluder Device Research
The Alaska pollock industry has supported the development of a new device that diverts salmon out of a pollock net, so they can avoid being caught.

Scientific Research
The at-sea sector of the Alaska pollock industry has established the Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and contributes $1.0 million annually to research intended to increase knowledge of the Bering Sea ecosystem.

Marine Conservation Alliance
The Alaska pollock industry has joined with other Alaska fishing organizations, Alaska Native groups and fishing communities to form this organization. One significant initiative involves the removal of hundreds of tons of marine debris annually from the Alaska coastline.

SeaShare
The Alaska pollock industry regularly gives back to communities through its support of and participation in SeaShare, a non-profit dedicated to providing nutritious seafood meals to hungry Americans. The pollock industry donates well over a million seafood meals annually through SeaShare. Currently, seafood donations through SeaShare represent one of the largest private sector supplies of protein in U.S. hunger relief programs.

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