ROCKLAND – A Lincolnville lobster dealer whose use of Canadian-built boats caused him to run afoul of federal agents said Monday it’s clear who won the fight: the government.

A federal decision last week concluded that Colby Drisko was not complying with the Jones Act, a 1930s-era law that protects the U.S. boat-building industry.

His Drisko Lobster business bought from fishermen in Vinalhaven and other Penobscot Bay harbors, then hauled the lobsters to market. Drisko said he hopes to sell one of his boats this week.

The fight started in July, when Drisko drew the attention of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The authorities had received a tip that Drisko’s boats, the 40-foot Sarah Belle and the 44-foot Lobstar, were built in Canada. Foreign-built boats are prohibited from working in the U.S. fisheries, though there are exceptions for smaller vessels.

A Customs official from Bangor ordered the Coast Guard to seize Drisko’s boats if he continued to use them, and so the boats were idled. The Customs agent said in July that his superiors in Washington would rule on whether Drisko, by hauling lobster caught by others, was engaged in fishing or in cargo transport.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, who chairs the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries and Coast Guard, intervened on Drisko’s behalf and won a stay, allowing him to continue to work until the final ruling.

Drisko learned of the ruling on Thursday when his lawyer received a letter from U.S. Customs.

“It’s all over now,” he said Monday from his Lincolnville home. A week ago he terminated his 15 employees, unable to sustain the costs of fighting his case.

“There were just too many hits from the government,” he said.

Drisko hopes to sell the Sarah Belle this week. He already gave up the lease he held on a portion of Rockland Harbor after paying for improvements to the property.

At age 44, he expects to try to find a new way to earn a living, he said.

“The government definitely won,” he said.

Drisko’s lawyer said an appeal could be made in federal court, but the effort would cost about $10,000.

In an announcement Friday, Snowe said she was disappointed with the Customs ruling.

The decision, Snowe said, “will result in not only the dislocation of [Drisko’s] 15 employees, but also an economic blow to the town of Lincolnville.”

Snowe reported that she is considering introducing legislation that would provide a federal waiver for Drisko Lobster.

Drisko praised Snowe’s efforts on his behalf, but said it was too late for him to recover and continue in business.