Aleut Corporation seeks partner for 2027 Aleutian Islands pollock allocation

The Aleut Corporation said Wednesday it is looking for a partner to harvest its 2027 Aleutian Islands pollock allocation, about 12,600 metric tons. Interested fishing operators are asked to contact the corporation by Nov. 30.

The request for information is not a contract offer. It says it "does not create any obligation for Aleut or any respondent." It also says "the allocation has seen little harvest, and its challenges are understood." Aleut does not lease or sell quota. Instead, it nominates vessels and processors to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval, and it expects to be paid a royalty.

By law, half of the allocation, about 6,300 metric tons, is reserved for vessels 60 feet or less in overall length. The other half is open to vessels eligible under the American Fisheries Act. Aleut will consider proposals for either half or both. It wants partners with an identified market, a record of following regulations and the ability to operate safely in Aleutian Islands conditions.

The 2027 figures may change. Aleut says final federal numbers are expected in early 2027.

Congress created the allocation in 2004 to support economic development in Adak and the Aleutian region. Under a federal rule, the fisheries service can move pollock to the Bering Sea fishery when it determines the Aleutian allocation likely will not be caught. In 2025, the agency moved 12,100 metric tons of Aleut's 14,100-ton allowance to the Bering Sea after a March determination.

This year, the agency found in February that 6,300 tons would likely go unharvested and moved them. After March catch limits set Aleut's 2026 allowance at 12,600 tons, it moved another 6,300 in April. After a July determination, it reallocated the remaining 6,300 metric tons, cutting Aleut's 2026 allowance to zero for the rest of the year.

The Aleutian Islands pollock stock assessment reports no directed pollock fishing in the Aleutians as of Aug. 8. It recommends a 2027 acceptable biological catch, the scientific ceiling on how much may be harvested, of 48,763 metric tons. That would not make Aleut's share bigger. Federal rules fix the Aleutian catch limit at 19,000 tons whenever the ceiling is that high or higher. Under the federal harvest specifications, Aleut gets what remains after 10% goes to community development quota and 4,500 tons are set aside for pollock caught in other fisheries.

Aleut is an Alaska Native regional corporation serving more than 5,000 Unangax̂ shareholders and descendants.