PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Can anything bring back Portland's fishing fleet? Governor Paul LePage is scheduled to meet Thursday with the mayor of Portland, to talk about ways to help make that happen.
The meeting comes a week after the resignation of Marine Resources Commissioner Norman Olsen-who claims the Governor didn't support his efforts to help Portland, because the city had not supported the Governor in the election. The Governor denies ever saying that. But the controversy has overshadowed the serious problems facing the fishing industry-problems underscored at the Portland Fish Exchange.
The manager of the exchange says that beginning in 1987; Portland fish landings averaged 20 million pounds a year. Last year boats landed just four million pounds. Changing federal regulations and rising costs forced more and more Portland boats to move to Massachusetts over the past few years. Mayor Nick Mavodones says losing those boats and their fish has cost the local economy about $45 million. That's why he wants to enlist the help of the Governor and all of state government, to identify ways to bring at least some of the boats back.
The Mayor says he plans to talk about having the state help pay for improvements to the waterfront infrastructure, because that could result in lower fees to fishermen. He wants to explore whether there are state regulations that push fishermen to Gloucester and other ports instead of Portland. But the mayor, fishermen and fish buyers all say one big issue may also be the hardest to resolve: lobsters.
Maine law prohibits groundfishing boats, known as draggers, from landing and selling lobsters, even though the boats often scoop up lobster in their nets along with fish. The big boats can legally land and sell the lobsters in Massachusetts, which means they make more money. In and around the Fish Exchange, fishermen and fish buyers agree that allowing draggers to land lobsters here would help lure some of them back to Portland. But changing that law would involve a pitched battle with Maine's lobster industry, which has steadfastly opposed dragger landings for decades. That issue, in fact, is one that created early friction between lobstermen and former Commissioner Olsen. He supported changing the law, and hundreds of lobstermen then complained about him to the Governor.
Mayor Mavodones admits it is a very touchy issue, but says he plans to bring it up, along with other issues, when he meets with Governor LePage on Thursday.
NEWS CENTER
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