U.S. Consumers Eating More U.S.-Caught Wild Alaska Pollock in 2024

The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced today that 2024 witnessed a record year for consumption of U.S.-caught Wild Alaska Pollock by American consumers.

GAPP tracks the global supplies and trade of Pacific pollock and classifies the amount of Pacific pollock consumed in the United States into two categories – “Alaska pollock” made from Pacific pollock harvested in U.S. waters and “pollock” that was made from Pacific pollock harvested in other countries, primarily Russia.

Because of consumer preferences for U.S.-origin products and because only Pacific pollock harvested in U.S. waters is eligible to be marketed in the United States as “Alaska Pollock”, the percentage of Pacific pollock consumed in the U.S. that is of U.S. origin has steadily increased. In fact, much of GAPP’s marketing efforts have centered around encouraging brands to not only utilize U.S.-caught Alaska pollock in their product formulations and menu offerings, but also to call out the name “Wild Alaska Pollock” on front of pack and on menus.

Each year GAPP tracks a variety of industry statistics including the available supply of Pacific pollock, including U.S.-caught and imported Pacific pollock. And, in reviewing the overall numbers for 2024, the combined amount of “pollock” and “Alaska pollock” that was available for domestic consumption fell from 124,337 mt in 2023 to 115,260 mt in 2024. Per capita consumption of all pollock, both domestically and foreign caught, would have fallen commensurately with that decline.

However, looking more closely, the amount of product available for consumption that was made from Alaska pollock harvested in the United States actually increased from 99,815 mt in 2023 to 115,065 mt in 2024 and, in reviewing the data, this is the highest amount of U.S.-caught Alaska pollock available for domestic consumption on record. Since just 2022, Americans are now eating 24,583 mt more U.S.-caught Alaska pollock and that represents a 27.2 percent increase.

“We are extremely pleased that Americans are eating more products made from Wild Alaska Pollock that was harvested in Alaska and that 2024 established a new record for U.S. consumption,” said Craig Morris, CEO of GAPP. “We know from our research that provenance is extremely important to US consumers and that the vast majority of Americans prefer their seafood be harvested in the United States. By purchasing U.S.-harvested Wild Alaska Pollock, Americans are supporting not only the intrepid men and women that fish the waters of the Gulf of Alaska and the Eastern Bering Sea, but also the businesses from whom they purchase goods and services.”