An opportunity lies ahead to bring jobs and business back to Maine with no cost impact. A win–win opportunity.

Increasing pressure and state regulations are making Maine uncompetitive and forcing groundfishing boats to sell their catch in Massachusetts ports.

Federal law allows fishing boats to catch and sell lobster netted in federal waters far from shore as they fish for other species. But Maine refuses to allow those boats to sell that catch in the state, so fishing boats have no choice but to sell their catch — fish and lobster alike — in out-of-state ports.

The Maine Legislature is considering legislation, LD 1097, that would end the ban on selling lobster by-catch in Maine.

The stakes are great for Portland’s nonprofit Fish Exchange, the suppliers who service the fishing boats along Maine’s working waterfront, and the boats and crews themselves.

Selling the legally caught lobsters can make a successful fishing trip. Every cent added to sales contributes to the bottom line. It helps to offset the costs of fuel, ice and other supplies, and makes sure the crew gets paid what they deserve.

While the Maine Lobstermen’s Association opposes lifting the ban, the evidence is clear that the lobsters caught by groundfishing boats are insignificant to the overall fishery. Last year, lobstermen using traps landed 126 million pounds of lobster, while groundfishing boats landed less than 100,000 pounds — less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the total.

Lobsters caught in federal waters must meet the same requirements as lobsters caught in traps, including size restrictions. There will be no impact on the certification of the lobster fishery.

In addition, the bill uwould give the Maine Department of Marine Resources the ability to closely monitor by-catch and impose new restrictions to make sure the practice doesn’t negatively affect our lobster fishery.

In testimony before the Marine Resources Committee, the department said “the restrictions included in this bill are fully compatible with promoting the sustainability of the trap fishery.”

The practice of catching lobster as by-catch is already legal, and it’s happening.

But current Maine law requires that they be landed elsewhere. That’s bad policy that ships economic activity out of our state.

Ironically, many of the lobsters that are landed in Gloucester, Mass., are put on trucks and shipped right back to Maine, where they are sold or processed. They’re already in our market — only the positive economic impact of the landings are benefiting other out-of-state ports.

By allowing lobsters to be sold off of groundfishing boats, Maine could entice many of the vessels that have left the state to return. The fishing industry estimates the current 5 million pounds of groundfish sold in Maine could increase to 20 million pounds. Such an increase would help to protect the infrastructure necessary to support a healthy fishing fleet.

The restoration of Portland’s ground fishing fleet would bring millions of new dollars into the economy. A 2007 economic study of the by-catch issue determined that changing the law could create or protect as many as 355 jobs.

Further, for every dollar of landed groundfish sold in Maine, the study found that approximately 62 cents flows through to downstream vendors, including fuel, ice, bait supplies and vessel supply and repair services.

Unfortunately, the issue has deteriorated into a fight between two fisheries, but it need not be that way.

Fuel and bait costs are increasing for all fishing boats, whether they run lobster traps or go for groundfish. Maintaining the infrastructure for the groundfishing fleet will help to keep prices lower for everyone.

Today, lobsters are being legally caught and landed by groundfishing vessels, but Maine is missing out on the benefits. Instead, they’re going south to Massachusetts.

With a small change in the law, we can bring that business back to Maine, where it belongs.

That’s good for the health of the economy and for the preservation of Maine’s working waterfronts.

RICHARD D. CARON, the controller for Atlantic Trawlers Fishing Inc., lives in Brunswick.