Western Gulf of Maine Closed Area

The Western Gulf of Maine Groundfish Closure is closed year-round to all fishing vessels, with the following exemptions: Charter and party* or recreational vessels; vessels fishing with exempted gears (spears, rakes, diving gear, cast nets, tongs, harpoons, weirs, dip nets, stop nets, pound nets, pots and traps, purse seines, surf clam/ quahog dredge gear, pelagic hook and line, pelagic longlines, single pelagic gillnets, and shrimp trawls (with properly configured grates)); and vessels participating in the mid-water trawl exempted fishery.