Meet Tatum Andersen

Meet Tatum Andersen and her dad, Ron Andersen.
Youngest daughter of a multi-generation fishing family now getting her feet wet in the industry- though not from the bow of a boat, but from her desk at work and with her involvement in WEfish- an organization that supports commercial fishing. Tatum has grown up watching the life of commercial fishing- the hard work of her father, her many uncles an cousins who are active in the industry, and has seen the strength of her mom, in balancing her own career and raising a family. She has witnessed the commitment, success, and pride that come from a hard working family business. Tatum’s parents Ron and Tracy Andersen own and operate the f/v Assurance, a boat that fishes up and down the west coast and supports not only their family, but the families of 3-4 crewmen.
Tatum could tell you first hand of the importance of commercial fishing not only to families like hers, but of the impact the industry has on the communities that line our coast. Commercial fishing businesses support dozens of other service businesses that collectively make a huge impact on the communities in which they reside. Hardware and marine suppliers, fuel providers, electricians, mechanics, fabricators, accountants, banks, shippers, boat builders, restaurants, scientists, and administrators are all apart of this unique community. Tatum works for one of the great local banks that supports commercial fishermen and their interests- Bank of the Pacific. With the support of financial institutions like these, fishermen invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into their businesses through boats, permits, and gear. Such investments then result in billions of dollars added to our state economy.