Supreme Court to decide whether to hear Maine lobsterman's challenge to GPS boat tracker requirement

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide later this month whether to hear a lobster fisherman's challenge to a government requirement that boats use electronic tracking devices. The case centers on Maine lobsterman Frank Thompson, who filed a federal lawsuit against the head of the Maine marine resources department after being required to install a GPS tracker on his boat to keep his fishing license. In 2023, Maine required all federally permitted lobstermen to comply with the new tracking rule aimed at data collection. Thompson argued the monitoring amounted to unreasonable search and seizure, but a federal appeals court rejected his claim last year. The Supreme Court is scheduled to review the petition on Sept. 28. Maine’s commissioner Carl Wilson previously said the data helps mitigate economic harm and guide regulations.