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Home , Alaska pollock, Atlantic cod, Gadidae

European market observatory for and products European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE

ALASKA (THERAGRA CHALCOGRAMMA)

©FAO

BIOLOGY AND

• Species description (Read more) The pollock belongs to the family of .

• Geographical distribution and habitat (Read more) The lives in the Arctic Sea, and in Northwest, Northeast and Eastern Central Pacific.

RESOURCE, EXPLOITATION AND MANAGEMENT

• Production methods and fishing gear (Read more)

The main fishing gears used are bottom pair trawls, gillnets and similar nets, hooks and lines, seines and trawls.

Source: Information system on commercial designations European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE Alaska pollock

CATCHES

• The share of Alaska pollock in the global catches is 3% (FAO, 2018). • Catches have been increasing over the last decade (+36% from 2009 to 2018). • In 2018, and the United States of America provided 94% of the world catches.

Evolution of world catches

Russian Federation USA Others

83 87 63 89 134 129 127 117 106 89 105 180 230 230 195 239 114 251 103 1.522 1.537 1.526 1.480 227 1.275 1.303 1.362 1.427 883

846 1.000 1.000 tonnes

1.738 1.735 1.680 1.585 1.580 1.633 1.567 1.518 1.624 1.327

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Source: FAO

Evolution of EU catches • No catch of Alaska pollock is recorded in the EU. European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE Alaska pollock

AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION

• No aquaculture production has been developed for Alaska pollock in the EU.

PROCESSING

• Alaska pollock is the second most processed in the EU, after Atlantic . It is imported as frozen fillet blocks and frozen minced meat.

• Alaska pollock is mostly used in the processed to produce fish fillets in batter and fish fingers, and prepared meals, fresh or frozen.

• In the EU, surimi production is mostly based on Alaska pollock and blue ( poutassou). Raw surimi-material (called surimi-base) is imported, mostly from the United States of America. Only one producer of surimi base, located in France, exists at the EU level and supplies primarily the French industry. Surimi processing takes place mainly in Spain (3 producers, 64.500 tonnes in 2019), France (4 producers, 57.000 tonnes) and Lithuania (1 producer, 47.500 tonnes)*.

------(*) EUMOFA estimates based on the import-export balance of surimi-base, assuming that all the surimi-base imported is used for the production of prepared surimi, with an incorporation rate of 33%. European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE Alaska pollock

TRADE

• Combined nomenclature EU trade of Alaska pollock products (tonnes – 2019)

CN code Product EU imports EU exports 03 02 55 00 Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), whole, fresh 0 0

03 03 67 00 Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), whole, frozen 439 364

03 04 75 00 Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), fillets, frozen 283.915 706 Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), meat (whether or 03 04 94 90 not minced), frozen 20.631 220

• Main extra-EU suppliers are: - for frozen fillets: China (160.211 tonnes) and USA (86.289 tonnes), - for frozen whole: Russia (350 tonnes) and USA (59 tonnes), - for frozen meat (other than fillets and surimi): USA (8.277 tonnes) and Russia (7.932 tonnes).

• Main extra-EU destinations in 2019 are Switzerland (244 tonnes) and China (160 tonnes) for frozen fillets.

Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE Alaska pollock

Supply balance

EU supply balance (20181) – Tonnes of live weight equivalent2 - Alaska pollock

Import 861.062 tonnes

Supply Export 861.062 tonnes 1.945 tonnes

Apparent consumption 859.117 tonnes

Source: FAO/ EUROSTAT-COMEXT

1 Supply balance is provided for the year 2018 (trade data for 2018 were taken into account). Detailed trade data provided in the slide 4 concern the year 2019. 2 The conversion factors were used to convert net weight of imports and exports of and aquaculture products into live weight equivalents. European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE Alaska pollock

PRICES ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN (EUR/kg)

First-sale Alaska pollock is not caught by the EU fleet, therefore there is no landing of Alaska pollock in the EU.

Wholesale Wholesale prices are reported for Mercamadrid, major wholesale market in the EU. Most frequent price 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source Alaska pollock (fresh) n.a. 4,21 3,72 3,61 5,32 6,12 5,7 5,37 5,57 9,34 Mercamadrid Alaska pollock n.a. 3,01 n.a. n.a. 3,91 n.a. n.a. 3,91 n.a. n.a. Mercamadrid (frozen) Import (frozen fillets) Alaska pollock is mainly imported as frozen fillets (86% and 89% of imports’ volume and value, respectively). , France and Poland are the main importers in the EU (70% of EU imported volumes in 2019). 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source

Germany 2,48 2,28 2,36 2,24 2,13 2,51 2,45 2,19 2,19 2,79 EUMOFA France 2,46 2,27 2,39 2,29 2,26 2,67 2,59 2,44 2,42 2,97 EUMOFA Poland 1,63 1,61 1,76 1,69 1,75 2,13 2,06 1,94 2,05 2,63 EUMOFA Export (frozen fillets) Alaska pollock is exported mainly prepared and preserved (69% and 74% of EU exports’ volume and value of Alaska pollock, respectively). However, the comext category includes other species than Alaska pollock (Pollack).

Alaska pollock is also exported as frozen fillets (16% of EU exports’ volume and value). Germany and the are the main exporters in the EU (together, they covered 76% of EU exported volumes of frozen fillets of Alaska pollock).

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source Germany 3,19 3,40 3,33 3,58 3,74 4,05 4,31 3,94 3,46 3,43 EUMOFA Netherlands 3,82 2,67 2,97 2,83 3,00 2,43 2,25 2,34 2,33 1,38 EUMOFA European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE Alaska pollock

MARKETING ASPECTS

• Commercial designation in all EU official languages (Read more)

CONSUMPTION

• Fourth most consumed species in the EU after , cod and (source: The EU Fish Nutritional value Alaska pollock Market – 2020 edition, EUMOFA) kilo calories (kcal) 56 • Apparent consumption per capita in 2018: 1,68 Total fat (g) 0,41 kg live weight equivalent (source: The EU Fish Saturates (g) 0,124 Market – 2020 edition, EUMOFA) Carbohydrate (g) 0 • Nutritional value (Alaska pollock, North East Sugars (g) 0 Atlantic, fresh fillet, values per 100 g – source : Protein (g) 12,19 USDA) Salt (mg) 333