USDA to purchase USD 50 million worth of Alaska pollock

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to purchase USD 50 million (EUR 48 million) worth of Alaska pollock in 2025 in support of the federal government’s food bank and nutrition programs.

“We all appreciate the quick response by USDA to address the needs of the seafood industry and, at the same time, food-insecure Americans by committing to purchase what may be more than 15 million pounds of wild Alaska pollock products,” Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) Global Food Aid Director Bruce Schactler said in a statement. “These nutritious seafood products, which may include fillet portions, fish sticks, and nuggets, will strengthen the nutrition profile of USDA offerings as recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans while at the same time helping to address the extreme market challenges that are so present and causing so much disruption across the entire Alaska seafood industry.”

ASMI noted that the purchases will help the Alaskan pollock sector, which is struggling with low prices and other challenges.

Alaska’s pollock fishery harvested nearly 1.3 million metric tons (MT) of fish in 2024, just shy of the amount allocated for the fishery by regulators. The pollock B season was closed early in September 2024 after two pollock trawlers accidentally harvested 2,000 Chinook salmon, triggering the fishery’s bycatch limit. The incident resulted in 50,000 MT of quota left in the Gulf of Alaska.

The USDA has been a major supporter of the Alaskan pollock sector in recent years, purchasing large quantities of fish for the federal government’s Section 32 program, which supports a variety of food nutrition programs. The department also bought roughly USD 50 million (EUR 48 million) of Alaska pollock in March 2024.

ASMI claims its collaboration with USDA has led to the government’s purchase of more than USD 1 billion (EUR 960 million) of Alaska seafood over the last 20 years.