Supreme Court Upholds GPS Tracking for Maine Lobster Boats

The Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear a legal challenge from Maine lobsterman Frank Thompson, effectively upholding a requirement for electronic vessel trackers on federally licensed lobster boats. The decision concludes a multiyear lawsuit arguing that the 2023 rule violated Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure by requiring GPS tracking both at sea and at the dock.

The regulation was passed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and implemented by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. The rule makes GPS tracking a condition for maintaining a fishing license. Thompson's attorney, Matthew Gilliam, argued that the requirement for around-the-clock surveillance remains a serious constitutional concern.

Supporters of the mandate, including the Conservation Law Foundation and the Maine Department of Marine Resources, maintain that the data is critical for the long-term sustainability of the declining New England lobster population. The court's refusal to intervene leaves the previous ruling by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as the final order.