ALASKA POLLOCK IS A PILLAR OF THE ALASKA ECONOMY

Alaska Pollock is a pillar of the Alaska economy according to two independent studies. Annual Wild Alaska Pollock Meeting Kicks Off with Results of Landmark Economic Analysis from Northern Economics and McKinley Research.

A pair of new studies conducted by two respected Alaska-based firms, Northern Economics and the McKinley Research Group, confirm that the Alaska Pollock fishery is a pillar of the Alaska economy, providing thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in payroll, and essential support for the state’s freight and fuel networks, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) has announced. The detailed results were presented this morning at the seventh Wild Alaska Pollock Annual Meeting, which brought together nearly three hundred representatives from across the Alaska Pollock industry.

The studies, funded by the united Alaska Pollock industry, show the significant economic impacts from all Alaska Pollock fishing and processing to Alaska, along with Alaska Pollock’s contributions to Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups. The studies also illustrate the importance of the Alaska Pollock fishery to the state’s fuel and transportation networks, respectively—and underscore a theme highlighted by GAPP Chairman of the Board Bob Desautel and Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance (APFA), Chair Jim Johnson, respectively, in their opening remarks about how the fishery is, indeed, an Alaskan fishery.

“Alaska leads the nation; [the Alaska Pollock industry] creates the most jobs there, compared to anywhere else across the country. Those are dollars that flow directly to Alaskan families, small businesses, and local boroughs all across the state and account for close to one-third of all economic output created through the Alaska pollock fishery,” said Melissa Errend of Northern Economics. “For every one dollar of labour that’s earned by an Alaskan working in the Alaska Pollock industry, two dollars are earned by other Alaskans—a huge multiplier effect of the fishery throughout the state.”

The findings from the Northern Economic study illustrate that in 2023, the Alaska Pollock fishery, the world’s second-largest global fishery:

Supported more than 6,300 Alaska jobs, providing Alaskans with over $337 million in wages.
1.43 million metric tons of Alaska pollock were harvested. More than $455 million of the harvest’s total value stayed in the pockets of Alaska Pollock fisherman.

Processed, that harvest delivered $1.7 billion in product to market – from fillets and surimi to roe, fishmeal, and oil. Much of that product was processed in facilities throughout coastal Alaska.
Overall, the Alaska Pollock fishery generated $2.5 billion in U.S. economic output, or sales activity, with Alaska receiving nearly one-third of this total.

The fishery was responsible for an estimated $25 million in state and local taxes. These revenues, which come from fisheries business and landing taxes, borough raw fish taxes, and seafood marketing assessment, go towards funding public services across the state.

Research findings from the McKinley Research study underscore the fishery’s central role in anchoring and sustaining Alaska’s transportation and fuel networks. McKinley’s report notes that without the volume and frequency of Alaska pollock product shipments, marine freight carriers would reduce service to Unalaska’s Dutch Harbour and other coastal villages.

“Marine freight carrier companies interviewed for the study noted that the absence of the Alaska Pollock fishery would leave other Alaska seafood products, quite literally, stranded in Alaska,” said Ron Rogness, of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, while presenting the results of the McKinley Research study during the morning session. “The absence of the Alaska Pollock fishery would drive up costs of groceries, building materials, and essential supplies significantly.”

Without Alaska pollock’s steady demand, prices would rise, services would shrink, and remote communities in Western and Northern Alaska would have reduced access to the all-important diesel fuel that powers critical infrastructure.

“This would be especially devastating to Western and Northern Alaskan communities that rely on diesel generated electricity,” added Rogness.

For links to the complete studies, please contact Sam Murphy, GAPP Vice President of Communications.

GAPP would like to thank its generous sponsors for this year’s event: USI Insurance Services (Title); Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Aquamar, Global Seas, and Port of Seattle (Gold); AgWest Farm Credit Services, American Seafoods, Arctic Storm Management Group, Beck Pack Systems, Delta Western Petroleum, Glacier Fish Company, Global Seafood Alliance, Gorton’s Seafood, Marine Stewardship Council, NORPEL, Pacific Seafood, Trident Seafoods, UniSea, Westward Fishing Company, and Westward Seafoods, (Silver); Alaska Airlines, APICDA, Clark Nuber, Golden Alaska Seafoods, Highland Refrigeration, Holland America Line, Industrial Resources, Inc., Islandsbanki, iTUB, KAPP, Key Bank, King & Prince Seafood, Lynden, NSEDC, Phoenix Processor Limited Partnership, and Restaurant Depot (Bronze); Alaskan Observers, Inc., Angulas Aguinaga, BAADER, Bank of America, Blueprint Alaska Advocacy & Strategy, Boyce Food Safety Consulting, Certified Seafood International, IMA Corporation, Rabobank, Seamark, and Trans-Ocean Products (Supporting).

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