You are connecting from Lake Geneva Public Library, please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.
Published 42 minutes ago • loading... • Updated 1 hour ago
Supreme Court to decide whether to hear Maine lobsterman’s challenge to GPS boat tracker requirement
The case could affect electronic monitoring rules for commercial fishermen nationwide, with Maine lobstermen catching more than 78 million pounds last year, officials said.
The Supreme Court will decide later this month whether to hear Maine lobsterman Frank Thompson's challenge to a state requirement forcing boat GPS tracking, a case with broad consequences for the American commercial fishing industry.
In 2023, Maine mandated GPS trackers for federally permitted lobstermen to improve data collection; authorities argue the monitoring is important to understand declining populations in New England.
Regulators describe monitoring as crucial for sustainability, while Conservation Law Foundation senior counsel Erica Fuller stated that managers "urgently need reliable and detailed data to respond to the complex issues facing our ocean."
Following a federal appeals court denial last year, Thompson appealed to the Supreme Court, with his petition asking if Maine can force lobstermen to carry GPS trackers on private boats, said lead attorney Matt Gilliam.
Maine's lobster industry, where fishermen caught more than 78 million pounds of crustaceans last year, remains central to the state's economy; the Supreme Court is set to review the claim on Sept. 28.