Pollack are closely related to cod, and they can grow very big! Their flesh is not as white in colour but is very similar in taste and texture to cod. They live near to the sea bed around rocky reefs and wrecks. Pollack is becoming increasingly popular, and prices can be high, partly due to the irregular supplies of this popular fish which is not easy to catch. Look out for handline caught pollack which is the highest quality and most sustainable option available.
More research is needed on pollack stocks but they are thought to be healthy in Cornwall. Pollack caught with hook and line are the most sustainable option for buyers and using this method is far better than fishing for pollack with gill nets as the rough ground they prefer – reefs and wrecks – often results in loss of nets and ghost fishing. Landings in our area have decreased in recent years and are now thought to be at sustainable levels but issues with by-catch when using gill nets means that gill net caught pollack is no longer on our recommended list.
In 2019 a total of 531 tonnes of Pollack were landed to Cornish ports with a value of £1.6 million (MMO data).
Updated July 2021
Cornish waters VIIe, f, g and h
Demersal trawls are large nets that are pulled through the water with the bottom edge of the net touching the seabed.
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Cornish vessels landing to Cornish ports
Handlining is a simple fishing method where hooks on lines are used to catch fish in a very traditional and sustainable way.
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Cornish waters VIIe, f, g and h
Gill nets are lightweight nets made of nylon (monofilament) fishing line that are anchored to the seabed and are used to catch fish by entangling the gills.
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Cornwall Good Seafood Guide rates fish on sustainability using a scale of 1 to 5.
1, 2 and 3 are recommended, Fish to avoid are rated 5.
We use the system devised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) so our scores are comparable with the scores produced by MCS for the UK and fisheries from all around the world. For more information on scoring click here.
Distributed throughout the northeast Atlantic, pollack is a warm, temperate species belonging to the cod family. It is mostly found close to the shore with a preference for wrecks and rocky bottom. It usually occurs at 40-100 m depth but is found down to 200m.Growth is rapid, approaching 10 cms per year. It migrates into deeper water as it grows. Maturity occurs at approximately 3 years. It spawns between January and April. Young of the first year are particularly common close inshore and may therefore be protected from fisheries in the early life stages. This species can reach a length of 120-130cm. A maximum size of 130 cm, a maximum weight of 18 kg and a maximum age of 15 years are reported. Pollack are moderately vulnerable to fishing 59% (Chueng et al 2005), althoght their resilience is Medium (fishbase).
Pollack are a difficult species to survey as they live near reefs and wrecks and are thus not easily surveyed using typical trawl methods the information fisheries scientists have is limited. There is also a considerable amount of recreational fishing for pollack which is not quantified at all. ICES applieas a model to landings data called the Depletion Corrected Average Catch modelling which uses landings data. It sets a proxy for MSY in terms of the ideal catch for this stock and in the past 10 years as landings have declined the overall catch is now far more sustainable. There is no estimate however of biomass (ie population of the stock). MMO landings data shows that catches landed to Cornish ports have remained fairly constant, fluctuating at around 1000 tonnes per year with a slight downturn in the past 2 years (2019 669 tonnes were landed to Cornish ports). Recreational landings of pollack are un recorded but are thought to be large (up to 3000 tonnes in area 7)
Catches are limited by a quota set by the EU common fisheries policy. There is a minimum landing size of 30cm. The quota set has been much higher than ICES advice for the Celtic sea but landings have been well below the quota – so this quota currently does not seem to be limiting fishing effort. oveal landings have been below levels advised by ICES.
Meaty chunks of local Cornish Pollack cooked in a classic Asian inspired, creamy curry sauce. A true ‘curry in a hurry’. Make it as spicy and hot as you like.
Merluccius merluccius
Lophius piscatorius
Pleuronectes platessa
Live oysters are mainly served raw. All you need is a knife, a bottle of good wine, and a little lemon or tobasco and away you go!
Cornwall Good Seafood Guide is underpinned by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Good Fish Guide. The first UK consumer guide to sustainable seafood. For more information visit www.fishonline.org