Western Gulf Of Maine Closure Area 2007 Symposium

For almost a decade, the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area (WGOMCA) has been a predominant fisheries management strategy for the Gulf of Maine. With the increased drive to manage fisheries with more holistic approaches, it is important to rigorously evaluate current and proposed management strategies and the impacts they are having on the environment and traditionally harvested species. The WGOMCA 2007 symposium was held at the University of New Hampshire to develop answers to the following questions: 1) Is the Closure meeting its goals? 2) What are the effects of the Closure? 3) How far have we come in understanding the Closure? 4) What future research is needed to evaluate the Closure? and 5) What does the future hold for the Closure?