Western Gulf of Maine Closed Area
The Western Gulf of Maine Groundfish Closure is closed year-round to all fishing vessels, with a few exemptions.
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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.