Available information on the population dynamics and genetic structure of Pollock in Alaskan waters supports the separation into Eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska stocks. However, even though the stock structure is still not fully understood, there is also evidence of genetically distinct populations inside the Gulf of Alaska.

As a result, pollock in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) is currently treated as two separate stock units for assessment and management purposes: a) the Western, Central, and West Yakutat portions (W/C/WYK) of the GOA) and b) the Southeast Outside portion of the GOA (a much smaller stock which comprises the eastern portion of the Gulf of Alaska) (Monnahan et al., 2023). 

The majority of information in this profile relates to W/C/WYK portion of the pollock stock in the GOA, which is managed by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) (Monnahan et al., 2023).