Saving Seafood

Appeals court dismisses Maine lobstermen defamation case against California aquarium

October 12, 2026 — A federal appeals court has sided with the California-based Monterey Bay Aquarium, which faced a defamation lawsuit from Maine lobstermen and groups representing the state’s industry.

The lobstermen sued three years ago, after the aquarium’s Seafood Watch program stripped the U.S. and Canadian lobster fisheries of their sustainability certifications and urged consumers not to buy lobster.

The aquarium said the fishery poses a threat to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Read the full article at Maine Public

How a lobsterman’s privacy fight reached SCOTUS — and could ripple far beyond the water: ‘Ain’t over yet’

October 12, 2026 — One Maine lobsterman isn’t ready to give up after the Supreme Court declined to hear his challenge to a GPS vessel-tracking requirement Monday, fearing it threatens a way of life passed down for generations and could ripple across other industries.

For decades, fifth-generation lobsterman Frank Thompson has driven his boat from Vinalhaven, a small island off the Maine coast, into deeper waters to set traps and haul in lobsters. Now, he says a GPS tracking mandate has turned his boat into a government-issued 24/7 “ankle bracelet,” sparking a years-long legal battle over constant surveillance and Fourth Amendment rights.

“This is totally against the Fourth Amendment, and somebody’s got to hear it one way or another,” Thompson told Fox News Digital. “This black box that they’re putting aboard the boat is not legal, in my mind, and I’m not a criminal.”

Thompson, who also owns Fox Island Lobster Company with his wife and two sons, was out fishing earlier this month when one of his sons texted him, letting him know the Supreme Court had declined his petition to hear the case and left in place a First Circuit ruling that said the GPS tracking requirement did not violate the Fourth Amendment because lobstering is a closely regulated industry.

“I just told myself, I said, ‘Well, it ain’t over yet,’” he said.

The mandate, requiring a small electronic box to be installed aboard federally licensed lobster boats in Maine, has flipped Thompson’s life upside down, he said.

Read the full article at Fox News

Researchers at the University of Maine are turning discarded lobster shells into golf tees

October 12, 2026 — Researchers at the University of Maine (UMaine) are working on a project to turn discarded lobster shells into golf tees, using ground-up shell particles from Richmond, Maine, U.S.A.-based lobster-processing company Shucks Maine Lobster.

UMaine Professor of Chemical Engineering David Neivandt leads the project, working with a team of student researchers and faculty. According to a university release, the project is part of a decades-long study into turning underutilized byproducts from Maine’s lobster industry into new products that also promote sustainability.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Algal bloom is intensifying offshore in Maine waters

October 7, 2026 — The algal bloom that has been spreading off the Maine coast for weeks is shifting, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

While the bloom is continuing to dissipate in inner Casco Bay, activity is increasing along the Midcoast, and patches have been found in Penobscot Bay. Offshore, the recent rain has caused the bloom to intensify. Satellite footage has mapped large areas one half mile to five miles out to sea.

Read the full article at Maine Public

Justices decline to take up Maine boat monitor case

October 7, 2026 — The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a lawsuit challenging a Maine rule requiring commercial lobstermen to use electronic vessel tracking systems.

In an unwritten decision, the high court denied lobsterman Frank Thompson’s petition for a writ of certiorari to consider a case against the Maine Department of Marine Resources, claiming that GPS monitoring of private boats violates Fourth Amendment protections. The decision effectively ends the long-running legal fight, upholding a previous federal appeals court ruling rejecting the lawsuit.

Thompson, who was represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, had claimed the 24/7 surveillance unfairly targets Maine’s federally licensed lobster fleet.

Read the full article at The Center Square

US Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to lobster GPS monitoring case

October 6, 2026 — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case that argued against 24/7 GPS monitoring of the Maine’s lobster fishing fleet.

In 2023, Maine began requiring commercial lobstermen in the state to install GPS monitoring devices that would enable 24/7 tracking of the vessels – a move called for by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Soon after, lobstermen sued, calling it a violation of both the fourth and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Maine lobster boat tracking rule

October 6, 2026 — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case challenging Maine’s requirement that certain commercial lobstermen use electronic vessel tracking devices, leaving in place a lower court ruling that upheld the program.

The case was brought by Frank Thompson, a Maine lobsterman who argued the state’s tracking requirement violates the Fourth Amendment by forcing fishermen to submit to continuous GPS monitoring as a condition of keeping their fishing licenses.

Read the full article at News Center Maine

MAINE: Eastport files motion to intervene in underwater data center case

October 5, 2026 — The City of Eastport registered a formal motion to intervene with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday in an attempt to block a controversial subsea artificial intelligence data center proposal, DeepGreen Western Passage SPV.

The councilors, who also sent an accompanying statement to FERC that was posted a day later, joined a growing list of residents and organizations fighting the project, including the nonprofit research group the Center for Biodiversity, by registering official concern over the DeepGreen Western Passage application for 48-month preliminary permit, which was accepted for filing by the agency in August.

The August acceptance of DeepGreen’s FERC preliminary permit application by the Commission kicked off a 60-day process for community members, organizations and other relevant parties to formally intervene in the permit proceedings; that window closes this month.

In a letter to FERC posted on Sept 30, the City Council asked that FERC deny the application.

“We recognize that a preliminary permit would not authorize construction or land-disturbing activities,” councilors wrote. “Nevertheless, it would give DeepGreen priority to pursue development of this project at this location for up to four years. That is a significant procedural benefit involving waters and community interests that are central to Eastport’s economy, heritage, and future.”

Read the full article at The Maine Monitor

Trump tried to make allies of fishermen. Some are turning on him

October 5, 2026 — John Evich, a commercial fisherman in Washington and Alaska, has voted for President Donald Trump three times, viewing him as someone who would fight for his industry.

But these days, Evich is weary of the high cost of doing business at sea, with fuel prices rising and trade hostilities with Canada jeopardizing markets for the crabs that he pulls off the ocean floor.

“If somebody came along that was going to do a better job, I would vote for them in a heartbeat,” he said.

Evich’s sentiment, echoed throughout the U.S. seafood industry, is another piece of a political puzzle that is working against Trump in the midterm elections. Dissatisfaction among commercial fishermen could cause collateral damage for Republicans in competitive races in Washington, Alaska and Maine.

“Having those costs be so much higher this year has really undermined the viability of some of our fisheries,” Alaska fisherman Linda Behnken said.

Read the full article at The Associated Press

New apprenticeship changes path into Maine scallop fishery

October 5, 2026 — Maine is changing the way new fishermen enter its state scallop drag fishery, pairing its longtime license lottery with an apprenticeship program designed to put experience, safety, and mentorship ahead of a simple random draw.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) adopted the new requirements this year after years of discussion with the Scallop Advisory Council, making the 2026 lottery the first to include an apprenticeship requirement.

Under the new system, prospective scallop drag license holders must identify a sponsoring captain when entering the lottery. If selected, an applicant receives an apprentice license and has two scallop seasons to complete required training before becoming eligible to purchase a commercial drag license.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman