September 16, 2026 — A longtime Maine lobsterman is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his challenge to a requirement that federally permitted lobster boats carry electronic tracking devices.
Frank Thompson argues that the tracking requirement violates the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches.
The Supreme Court has distributed the petition for its Sept. 28 conference, where the justices are expected to consider whether to take up the case. The conference is not an oral argument, and the court has not agreed to hear the case.
Thompson, a fifth-generation lobsterman from Vinalhaven, argues that the tracking requirement goes too far because the device remains on his private boat even when he’s not lobstering.
Maine requires state license holders who also hold certain federal lobster permits to have an electronic tracker on their boats while operating. The device records the time and location of the vessel once per minute while its moving and every six hours while it is tied up, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Maine DMR says that the data are intended to provide more detailed information about fishing activity and stock assessments that can help with fisheries management and protected species issues.