Saving Seafood

US Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to 2018 Trump tariffs on China

June 18, 2026 — The U.S. Supreme Court has denied to hear a case that targeted the 2018 Section 301 tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term.

Trump issued a series of Section 301 tariffs targeting Chinese goods, including seafood, in 2018, kicking off a trade war between the two countries. Those tariffs, launched as a means of combating alleged intellectual property theft, were maintained through the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and currently still stand eight years later.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

SCOTUS to consider lobsterman’s challenge to GPS tracking rule

June 10, 2026 — Vinalhaven lobsterman Frank Thompson’s case challenging the constitutionality of Maine Department of Marine Resources’ rule requiring 24/7 GPS tracking on federally licensed lobster boats was among the cases to be considered by the Supreme Court of the United States this week. However, SCOTUS will no longer decide whether to hear the case on June 11, as they have called for a response from the DMR. This information was shared in an email from Pacific Legal Foundation, the public-interest law firm representing Thompson, along with co-counsel from Holtzman Vogel.

In March, Thompson filed a 34-page petition for a writ of certiorari asking the Supreme Court to overturn the GPS tracking rule, arguing that it violates lobstermen’s Fourth Amendment rights protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures. The DMR rule states that every licensed lobster boat must be equipped with a tracker, and the tracker must be fully operational even when boats are docked or not being used for commercial fishing purposes. Failure to comply can result in hefty fines and the loss of fishing licenses.

Read the full article at The Ellsworth American

Trump administration continuing to resist issuing tariff refunds

June 5, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to file oppositions to tariff refunds in court.

The Trump administration has moved to prevent the testimony of Rodney S. Scott, a top customs official, from being required to testify at a court hearing related to the tariff refund process. A federal court ruled on 4 June that the administration’s motion for a stay on Scott’s testimony was warranted.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US Supreme Court declines to hear case brought by Alaska commercial fishers

May 12, 2026 — The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a petition brought by Alaska commercial fishers challenging federal management of the Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) salmon fishery.

The lawsuit was the latest attempt by commercial set net and drift net fishing groups in the region to force the federal government to take an active role in managing the salmon fishery instead of deferring to state managers, which has resulted in the closure of commercial fishing opportunities. The Cook Inlet Fishermen’s Fund claimed that Alaskan regulators intentionally limit the amount of salmon commercial fishers may harvest, instead prioritizing salmon for the personal use, sport, and guided-sport fishing sectors.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Maine lobsterman asks US Supreme Court to weigh in on GPS monitoring rule

April 1, 2026 —  A commercial lobsterman has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against 24/7 GPS monitoring of the Maine lobster fleet, arguing that the unmitigated surveillance is a violations of his rights.

In 2023, Maine regulators began requiring all commercial lobstermen to install GPS monitoring devices on their vessels, enabling 24/7 tracking as called for by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The devices send minute-by-minute location data to the state at all times, even when the vessels are docked.

Read the full article SeafoodSource

MAINE: Vinalhaven lobsterman petitions Supreme Court over GPS tracking mandate

March 20, 2026 — A Maine lobsterman is continuing his fight against a GPS tracking mandate, hoping to bring the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Frank Thompson, a fifth-generation lobsterman from Vinalhaven, and the Florida-based Pacific Legal Foundation jointly petitioned the Supreme Court this month to hear an appeal in his federal district court case.

Since late 2023, federally permitted lobster boats on the East Coast have been required to have a global positioning system (GPS) transmitter aboard at all times. The federal Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission enacted the mandate to collect data about fisheries stock and aid in conservation efforts, including for endangered whales.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources later adopted the mandate, which also collects data for “emerging ocean uses, and enforcement.”

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

Trade lawyers predict tariff refunds will take months

February 24, 2026 — The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, setting up thousands of companies for a refund, but trade lawyers predict it will likely be months before importers see the money.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sent out a communication indicating as of 12 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on 24 February it stopped collecting duties related to seven different executive orders issued by Trump, all of which fell under the IEEPA. Even though the tariffs have ceased, acquiring a refund could take several months, according to trade lawyers contacted by SeafoodSource.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump vows to enact 15 percent global tariff following Supreme Court rebuke

February 23, 2026 — U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to impose a new 15 percent tariff on all trade following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidated his previous tariffs.

In a press conference following the Supreme Court decision on 20 February – and in a post on his social media site Truth Social that mirrored what he said at the conference – Trump said he plans to use Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a 10 percent tariff “over and above our normal tariffs already being charged.” Section 122 was established to allow the U.S. president to impose duties on other countries related to “large and serious” balance of payments issues.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

New Jersey fishermen challenge monitoring rule again

January 23, 2026 — Following their victory before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024, commercial fishers from New Jersey are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to vacate a NOAA Fisheries rule requiring them to pay out of pocket for at-sea monitors.

“Forcing fishermen to pay the salaries of government regulators watching them conduct their work is backward,” New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) Senior Litigation Counsel Kara Rollins said in a statement. “The regulation unlawfully places the government’s financial responsibilities onto the governed and without congressional authorization.”

The lawsuit centers on the Industry-Funded Monitoring (IFM) rule introduced by NOAA Fisheries in 2020. The rule requires commercial fishers in multiple fisheries – Atlantic herring, squid, butterfish, and Atlantic mackerel – to pay out of pocket for at-sea monitors to be present on their vessels and observe their operations.

The fishers claimed the requirement would be devastating to their business, with monitors reportedly costing more than $700 per day. According to the NCLA, that cost can eat up any profit the fishers made in a day, and over a multi-day trip, costs could become exorbitant.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource