Marylinda Guerin
Voices from POORT
POORT (Port Orford Ocean Resource Team) supports its mission of long term sustainability of ocean resources and community through various initiatives. These include the Blue Water Task Force which tests water quality monthly as well as the Port Orford Community Stewardship Area that has identified traditional fishing grounds. They also support many scientific efforts such as the Rockfish Tagging Project and the Dive Survey and Seaweed Collection. Members of the POORT provide interviews and discuss information that is important to the unique small community of Port Orford in southern Oregon. Smaller boats and a unique geography contribute to the charm and characteristics of this community. Learn about fishing from Port Orford and other activities surrounding this unique community. For more information on POORT, check out their website at www.oceanresourcetean.org.
Marylinda Guerin was interviewed by Sarah Calhoun in Port Orford, Oregon, on July 18, 2014 as part of the Voices from POORT (Port Orford Ocean Resource Team) project. Marylinda recounts how her father, growing up a rancher then a lumberman, built his first boat in the 1930s and began fishing in Port Orford. She discusses how she began fishing with her father as a teenager and the later challenges of balancing family life with fishing. She reflects on the changes in the fishing community, the challenges faced by women in the industry, the camaraderie of Port Orford's fishing community, and her love for fishing and the ocean. She also touches on her father's decline due to Alzheimer's and cancer, and her eventual decision to stop fishing.
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