ROCKLAND — Given the natural aversion of Maine fishermen to time clocks, a federal program to retrain those displaced by their industry’s decline is shifting the effort away from big-business recruitment and toward small-business creation.

Scott Tilton, director of the U.S. Department of Labor Fishing Industries Retraining Project, said Monday early returns from fishermen interested in changing careers “shows a strong preference for developing their own small-business opportunities rather than going to work for larger employers. They know the risks, they know the work involved and they clearly like being on their own, reponsible for themselves and their families.”

The Department of Labor last summer announced a $3.2 million grant to retrain Maine and New Hampshire fishermen being forced out of business by declining fish stocks and increasingly stringent state and federal regulations. The program intends to retrain about 400 fishermen during the next two years. More than 80 have expressed interest since counseling and resource centers opened in coastal counties last fall.

A $250,000 pilot program launched in Cumberland County a year ago has started 27 fishermen on course for new jobs in such diverse fields as building and mechanical trades, computer and medical technology, commercial shipping, clerical work and the ministry.

A survey of fishermen and the evolving shape of the New England economy make the focus upon business start-ups the logical choice, Tilton said. “We heard from 160 fishermen, with an average of 20 years in the industry. That’s a long time to be independent, setting your own hours, making your own plans. While this type of program usually retrains a person to go from a factory that’s closing to a different factory that’s still open, it makes no sense here to try to fit people into a mold they don’t fit into.

“Maine has traditionally been a state of small businesses — almost 90 percent — and the trend appears to be moving even more strongly in that direction. For this program to be successful, we need a vision of what we want the fishing industry to look like and what we want Maine to look like.”

Tilton said a sense of personal history also is turning many fishermen into would-be entrepreneurs. “Most of the fishermen we talk to come from a long line of fishermen, going back for generations in the same small town. Many see the handwriting on the wall as far as needing to do something else for a living, but very few are willing to relocate to work in an established business. This is an issue of tremendous importance to Maine — many small, coastal communities won’t survive if the declining fishing economy isn’t replaced by something else.”

Outside of Cumberland County, where the program had a head start, the strongest early response is from Washington County, where 19 fishermen have inquired about retraining.

While some ask about becoming diesel mechanics or electricians, Tilton said, several fishermen way Down East are looking into two truly entrepreneurial enterprises — shellfish aquaculture and cranberry growing.

“Both of those businesses have great, untapped potential and the region is well-suited for them,” Tilton said. “It’s farming a crop, rather than hunting the sea, but there are some similarities that make them attractive to fishermen, issues fishermen deal with every day — nature, the elements, working outdoors, you’re concerned with a harvest, your success depends a lot on your own individual effort.

“Two other benefits of shellfish and cranberries are that they aren’t as capital-intensive as a lot of other ventures, and a successful operation could provide employment for a good number of people. There’s a lot of potential if they’re developed properly.”

The retraining project is part of a $30 million federal emergency aid program to pare down the New England fishing industry so that a smaller but more healthy fishing fleet remains should fish stocks rebound. Other elements of the program include a revolving loan fund for business development and a boat buyout.

Although fishermen aren’t breaking down the doors of the retraining centers, Tilton says a lot are giving serious thought to their futures, especially with new federal regulations in the works to cut the fishing effort further.

“A lot of fishermen I talk to are doing OK financially right now, but they know they’re going to have to cross over sooner or later,” Tilton said. “As the new regulations start to take shape this spring, I think we’ll see more and more getting off the fence. It’s an extremely tough decision, but it’s not a decision that can be put off much longer.”