The US Supreme Court has declined to hear a legal challenge from Maine lobster fisherman Frank Thompson. Maine requires lobster fishermen with federal permits, which give them national government permission to fish, to install GPS devices on their boats. These devices record boat locations. Thompson argued that compulsory tracking violated his rights against unreasonable government searches. He asked the Supreme Court to hear his case after losing in an appeals court.
The court rejected his request on 5 October. Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented him, said the decision allows around 1,200 Maine fishermen with federal permits to be tracked. However, it said the wider legal fight over government surveillance would continue. State officials welcomed the decision, saying the information would help assess lobster numbers, enforce fishing rules offshore and improve management decisions.
Environmental groups also supported the outcome. Some want closer monitoring to protect rare North Atlantic right whales, which can become trapped in fishing equipment. Others say declining lobster numbers require more attention. Conservation Law Foundation said accurate, timely information from boat tracking would help officials manage the lobster population.
