Business in brief PORTLAND: FISH EXCHANGE RAISES FEES

The Portland Fish Exchange is raising fees by 9 percent because volume has dropped after the adoption of fishery regulations known as Amendment 13. The amount of fish handled by the exchange has dropped by 1.9 million pounds since the rules went into effect on May 1, 2004, causing a loss of revenues that would top $300,000 this year if left unchecked, said Hank Soule, manager of the nonprofit fish auction. The exchange lost $125,000 last year as the level of fish dropped to 18 million pounds from between 22 million and 28 million pounds over the past few years, Soule said. The exchange stood to lose another $175,000 this year without the fee increase, he said. “If we’re not going to be catching haddock, then the thing that’s going to have to change is our fee structure to remain solvent,” Soule said Wednesday. The fee increase will be split by the fishermen and buyers, both of whom pay half the exchange’s costs of sorting the fish, weighing it, consigning it for auction, and shipping it out the door, Soule said. Amendment 13 was meant to ensure healthy stocks and landings of fish such as Georges Bank haddock, but Soule said that has not happened. Like many fishermen, Soule believes more haddock could be caught without hurting the fishery. (AP)