Alaska’s cold, nutrient-rich waters support some of the largest and most successful commercial fisheries on the planet. The pollock fishery is one of them. It’s the second largest fishery in the world, worth an estimated $1.9 billion, and it provides nearly 30,000 jobs across the United States.

Alaskan pollock is the main ingredient in some of our most popular foods—like fish sticks, imitation crab, and even the iconic Filet-O-Fish. It’s also the biggest fishery in the United States by volume, and recognized worldwide as being well managed and sustainable.

For more than 20 years, NOAA Fisheries has been successfully managing the pollock fishery with a holistic ecosystem-based management model. Through innovation and sound science, government and industry continue to work together to improve this fishery, including efforts to reduce bycatch.