On September 9, 2013, Joshua Wrigley interviewed Fred Viola in South Portland, Maine, for the Maine Coast Oral History Initiative. Viola, a lifelong resident of Portland, grew up in a fishing family but preferred shore-based work. He worked in construction for most of his career while intermittently engaging in fish unloading, or "lumping," at the Portland Fish Exchange. Viola describes his early work in the fishing industry, starting as a teenager in a whiting factory before transitioning to lumping, which provided higher earnings. He details the operations of the Portland Fish Exchange, including the process of unloading fish, the role of lumpers, and the evolution of fish handling practices. Viola explains how boats originally sold their catches directly to dealers before the establishment of the Portland Fish Exchange in the mid-1980s, which introduced a more transparent auction system. He discusses the challenges of gaining fishermen’s trust in the exchange, the impact of federal regulations on the industry, and the decline in fish landings due to restrictions and economic shifts. Viola also reflects on the decline of the lumping trade, attributing it to reduced fishing activity and changes in industry practices. He shares insights on the historical abundance of whiting and haddock, the introduction of vessel buyback programs in the 1990s, and the effects of government regulations on Maine’s fishing industry.