Alaska pollock

Taxobox
name = Alaska pollock


image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Gadiformes
familia = Gadidae
genus = "Theragra"
species = "T. chalcogramma"
binomial = "Theragra chalcogramma"
binomial_authority = (Pallas, 1814)

Alaska pollock or walleye pollock ("Theragra chalcogramma") is a North Pacific species of the cod family Gadidae. While related to the common Atlantic pollock species of the same family, the Alaska pollock is not a member of the same "Pollachius" genus.

The Norwegian pollock ("Theragra finnmarchica"), a rare fish of Norwegian waters, may actually be the same species as the Alaska pollock.

Fisheries

The Alaska pollock has been said to be "the largest remaining source of palatable fish in the world." [Clover, Charles. 2004. "The End of the Line: How Overfishing is Changing the World and What We Eat". Ebury Press, London. ISBN 0-09-189780-7 ] . More than 3 million tons of Alaska pollock are caught each year in the North Pacific from Alaska to northern Japan. Alaska pollock catches from U.S. fisheries have been quite consistent at about 1.5 million tons a year, almost all of it from the Bering Sea. Information on the [http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/refm/stocks/assessments.htm current stock status for Alaska groundfish] ) is updated annually whereas [http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/refm/docs/2007/EBSpollock.pdf the specific 2007 pollock assessment] is also available. The Alaska pollock landings are the largest of any single fish species in the U.S.

Use as food

Compared with pollock, Alaska pollock has a milder taste, whiter color and lower oil content.

High quality, single frozen whole Alaska pollock fillets may be layered into a block mold and deep frozen to produce fish blocks that are used throughout Europe and North America as the raw material for high quality breaded and battered fish products. Lower quality, double-frozen fillets or minced trim pieces may also be frozen in block forms and used as raw material for lower quality, low-cost breaded and battered fish sticks, portions, etc.

Single frozen Alaska Pollock is considered to be the premier raw material for "surimi"; the most common use of surimi in the United States is "imitation crabmeat" (also known as crab stick).

Alaska pollock is commonly used in the fast food industry, for example the fish filet of Dairy Queen, Arby's, and Burger King are also made from Alaska pollock. McDonald's uses Hoki and/or pollock in their Filet-O-Fish sandwich.Fact|date=August 2007

References

* [http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/walleye_pollock.htm NOAA NMFS: U.S. Seafood Facts]
* [http://www.eurofish.dk/indexSub.php?id=3438 FISHINFOnetwork Market Report 04/07]
* [http://www.pacseafood.com/products/al_pollock.html Dominic's Pacific Seafood]
* [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=318 FishBase: Alaska Pollock]