Based on microsatellite markers, evidence of population structure was found within NE Atlantic and NW Atlantic but “homogeneity across the North Atlantic could not be evaluated” (McCusker and Bentzen 2010). A unique biological stock is identified around Icelandic waters according to (Pampoulie et al. 2012), (Gunnarsson et al. 2013), and (Gunnarsson et al. 2019) with an assessment unit considered within (Marine Research Institute 2014). However, the relation with the remaining distribution of the species in NE Atlantic is not fully understood (McCusker and Bentzen 2010) nor are assessment units identified apart from the Icelandic one.

In lack of a clear stock structure of Atlantic wolffish, assessment units are considered in the NW Atlantic: Scotian Shelf, Georges Bank, and Bay of Fundy The species has been listed as Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (DFO 2002), (COSEWIC 2012) and by the NOAA in USA (Atlantic wolffish Biological Review Team 2009), (Keith and Nitschke 2010), (Northeast Fisheries Science Center 2015), (SGCN 2016). In the north-eastern Atlantic, the species is listed as Data Deficient by the Red List assessment for European marine fish (Collette et al. 2015).