Maine lobsterman vows to fight GPS tracking after Supreme Court loss

Key Points:

• Maine lobsterman Frank Thompson, a fifth-generation fisherman, is challenging a GPS tracking mandate on federally licensed lobster boats, arguing it violates Fourth Amendment rights by subjecting him to constant government surveillance.
• The GPS devices, required by the Maine Department of Marine Resources to protect endangered whales and manage lobster populations, track boat locations every minute while moving and every six hours when docked, raising privacy concerns for Thompson and others.
• The Supreme Court declined to hear Thompson’s case, leaving intact a lower court ruling that the tracking requirement is lawful under an exception for closely regulated industries, but Thompson and his attorney vow to continue fighting the mandate.
• The American Farm Bureau Federation supports Thompson’s challenge, fearing the ruling could weaken privacy protections for farmers and others in regulated industries, while conservation groups back the tracking as essential for sustainable fisheries management.
• Thompson emphasizes the cultural and generational importance of lobstering, warning that increasing regulations threaten the livelihood and freedom of fishermen and others who depend on traditional industries.