The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Maine lobster fisherman Frank Thompson’s challenge to boat tracking. Maine requires lobster fishermen with federal permits to install GPS devices, which record their boats’ locations. Thompson took his case to the Supreme Court after losing in an appeals court. The court refused his request on October 5, leaving the tracking requirement in place.
Thompson argued that compulsory tracking violates constitutional protections against unreasonable government searches and seizures. Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented him, said the wider legal fight over government surveillance would continue. According to the foundation, the decision means about 1,200 Maine lobster fishermen with federal permits can be tracked. State marine resources commissioner Carl Wilson said the information would help assess lobster populations, enforce fishing rules offshore, and guide management decisions.
Environmental groups welcomed the outcome. Some support closer monitoring to protect rare North Atlantic right whales, which can become caught in fishing gear. Others want better monitoring of declining lobster populations. Conservation Law Foundation attorney Sarah Shahabi said tracking gives officials timely, accurate information for managing the species.
