Commercial and recreational fishers in the Gulf of Mexico routinely express in public testimony their concern over the number of fishery regulations in general, and the prospect of having closed areas that affect their opportunities to fish. Of the 16 closed areas, or marine protected areas, in the Gulf that restrict shrimp and reef-fish fishing, most have not provided anticipated protection for exploited species. The main problems hindering the effectiveness of Gulf closed areas are ill-conceived development, lack of performance monitoring, and inadequate enforcement.