ExploringMaine.com

Your Scribe was chatting up a commercial fisherman recently at Dewey's, a watering hole on Commercial Street in Portland, and learned anew that it is almost impossible to make money in this rigorously regulated trade.

I didn't catch his name but he mentioned that he owned his own boat and lives in Bristol. His wife has a job that pays benefits for the family, which includes three children. Here are a few verities about his life:

- Federal officials only allow him 38.8 days of ocean fishing per year.
- A GPS device, which he had to pay for, keeps federal authorities apprised of his time and location at sea.
- There are plenty of fish (cod, haddock) within 20 miles of Portland but he suspects local buyers are keeping the price low when he and others do bring in a catch. "I see the dealers in the parking lot at the docks and I can imagine they are agreeing on what they will offer. That keeps prices down."
- He suspects these dealers buy low and then truck fish to Boston to get almost twice the price. They pay a driver $15 an hour but make money on the deal.
- The rising cost of fuel is driving many fishermen out of business. He said there are only 60 fishing boats on the south coast, mostly in Portland and Port Clyde.
- Paying a huge note on his 60-foot craft is also a major drag on expenses. Few captains have paid off their craft, and the monthly obligation can be as large as a house note.
- The era when the federal government would host programs to retrain fishermen are over.

"I'm not complaining," this friendly fishermen said. "I'm just saying it's getting harder and harder to keep a boat in the water."