Prince William Sound

Federal scientists are recommending a higher Gulf of Alaska pollock catch limit for next year, followed by a cut in 2028.

A draft stock assessment led by Cole Monnahan of NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center, released Monday, recommends a 2027 ceiling of about 155,600 metric tons, roughly 343 million pounds. That's about 17% more than this year. For 2028, it recommends about 106,200 tons, about 20% below this year and nearly a third below 2027.

Pollock is the mild white fish in fish sticks, fast-food fish sandwiches and imitation crab. The numbers cover the central and western Gulf, where nearly all of the Gulf's pollock is caught.

The numbers are a draft. A team of scientists reviews them Nov. 17, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which recommends catch limits for federal waters off Alaska, sets the limits in December in Anchorage. A final federal rule follows early next year.

The 2027 increase would win back part of a big cut. This year's limit is about 133,100 tons, down from about 181,000 in 2025. No new assessment was done last year because of a prolonged partial government shutdown, the draft says, so this year's limit was based on projections from the 2024 assessment. Because the draft's summary compares 2027 with the 2025 limit, it describes the new number as a 14% decrease.