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

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a lawsuit brought by Maine lobster fisherman Frank Thompson, who argued that requiring federally permitted commercial lobster boats to use GPS tracking devices amounts to unreasonable search and seizure. The petition was formally denied on Oct. 5, after Thompson lost at the appeals-court level. Under Maine’s policy, the state can collect data to manage the industry, including informing lobster stock assessments and enhancing offshore enforcement. Carl Wilson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, said the information is “critically important.” Thompson’s attorney group, the Pacific Legal Foundation, said about 1,200 Maine permit holders can be tracked, and that the legal fight continues.