Supreme Court declines to hear the case of a lobster fisherman who opposes boat tracking

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge by Maine lobster fisherman Frank Thompson to a state requirement that federally permitted lobstermen install GPS tracking devices on their boats. The court denied Thompson’s petition on Oct. 5, after he lost at the appeals level. Maine officials said the tracking helps collect “critically important” data to guide lobster stock assessments, support offshore enforcement, and improve federal management decisions. The Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented Thompson, said the dispute over whether regulators can bypass Fourth Amendment protections is not over. Environmental groups generally praised the decision, citing concerns about ecosystem impacts and species protection, including North Atlantic right whales.