A fishing pier called the Portland Fish Pier is situated alongside the Fore River in Portland, Maine. The Portland Fish Exchange, which is located there and where more than 20 million pounds (9.1 kt) of seafood are purchased and sold annually, is a key hub for the commercial fishing sector. The Pier is also home to a tribute to fisherman. The Blessing of the Fleet is an annual ceremony that is sponsored by the Maine Fishermen’s Wives Association every June. The association, which was established in 1977, honors the relationship between fishermen and their wives. To remember fishermen who perished at sea, the group sponsored a memorial in 1989 near the Portland Fish Exchange. In a little forest in front of the Marine Trade Center, the memorial is situated. Various women worked at sea in other jobs besides fishing.