“Now, as older fishermen are getting ready to retire or are retired, what we’re seeing, people are referring to it as the 'graying of the fleet.'”

Tom Calvanese is a Port Commissioner in the Port of Port Orford, Oregon. He is also the Field Station Manager for Oregon State University in Port Orford, and a graduate student at OSU in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. He has Bachelors in Marine Biology and a Master’s of Science in Fisheries Science. His graduate research brought him to Port Orford, in which he collaborated with the local fishermen and helped them establish their Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve with his research.

Tom discusses the natural phenomena of the Port, the necessity for dredging, and the “Let’s get dredged” Fourth of July event. He states that about 1/3 of the local economy is dependent on commercial fishing, but they are known for their innovation and ability to try new things to benefit the area. Some within the fishery catch, sell, and ship their fish alive so they can be sold for 10 times as much, and due to that they don’t have to catch as many fish to make profit. The community wants to make the area attractive to visitors by creating activities and other opportunities for people to enjoy the waterfront as much as the residents do. Tom also speaks about the culture of commercial fishing, such as the weather-driven schedule as well as the risks and dangers that accompany the job. He touches on the fact that the small, local fisheries and other businesses aren’t able to sell their product straight off the boat into the community anymore, and that is something desirable that they would like to get back. Fishermen are getting older, and if there is no family to inherit the business there is a loss of boats, which in turn could put the existence of the port at risk. It all comes down to the values of the community, and what they are willing to put in to solve the problems of the port.