Our Story
Our three boat cooperative, Port Orford Sustainable Seafood, was launched in June of 2009 in an effort to fulfill our commitment to the triple bottom line; people, planet, profit. With your help, we hope to meet several goals.
- Promote “Buy Local” Reduce the carbon footprint of quality seafood by buying local
- Develop traceability in seafood Port Orford Sustainable Seafood is straight from our boats to your table, leaving no question about where your fish is from and more importantly, how it was caught.
- Add value Added value means fishermen can fish less to maintain their way of life. With value marketing we can lessen pressure on the public resource on which our community depends.
- Decommodify seafood There are 72 species of rockfish on the west coast. In stores they’re sold as “snapper”, a species indigenous to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. Each species we sell has a name and a unique life history, and we feel consumers have a right to make an informed choice.
- Promote the Port Orford Stewardship Area This area represents our traditional fishing grounds. We depend on the health of this nearshore environment for our businesses and community’s well being. Our goal is formal state and federal recognition with a commitment to implementing smaller spatial management.
- Fair competition Port Orford Sustainable Seafood offers a higher price for fishermen’s catch, which encourages a fair market environment.
- Maintain our culture Port Orford is an enchanting coastal community with a rich history of natural resource dependence. By becoming stewards of this ecosystem, we can foster a sustainable future.
- Working waterfront Fishing is the dominant industry in Port Orford. When you visit the port, you’ll find fishermen working hard for their families, which in turn supports the community. Our cooperative supports economic development and the financial well being of these fishermen.
