POORT -- stewardship area

Stewardship Areas protect marine resources while allowing sustainable use of these resources to continue.

The world-class assets of our ocean waters, and their importance to people who live, work, and visit Port Orford, make this an ideal place for a Stewardship Area.

The region boasts diverse habitats; rocky shores and sandy beaches, undersea reefs and kelp forests, and wetlands critical to migratory birds. Here you'll find rockfish, salmon, halibut, sablefish and lingcod; as well as grey whales, sea lions and other marine mammals. We are proud to maintain a working port and cultural traditions.

Area-Based Management

POORT recognizes that effective area-based management, connecting people to place, can benefit fisheries and the nearshore ecosystem. It can be used to preserve age structure in fish stocks, insure against scientific uncertainty, protect habitat, and catalyze opportunities for nearshore research.

Within the boundaries of the Stewardship Area, POORT seeks to reduce bycatch and protect critical habitat. We are committed to taking care of this amazing place.

Recognition

Community-based ocean management is well accepted in several other states, and in coastal regions around the world. Here in Port Orford, we are providing Oregon's first model for how community-based ocean management can work. As such we are gaining recognition and support from various management and political entities.

Successful fisheries require strategies that protect harvest opportunities while applying sound conservation principles. We appreciate your interest and involvement!

Why Do We Want A Stewardship Area?

Establishing a Stewardship Area is a wise investment for our fishing industry. We are creating a platform from which to share responsibility and decisionmaking for management of our coastal resources.
Port Orford is committed to conserving the biological integrity of the area. We can facilitate research necessary to make informed regulatory decisions. Our fishing fleet can choose to work towards long-term stabilization rather than settle for disaster relief packages.

Please take a look at our Port Orford Stewardship Plan for more details!