Maine Lobster Fishermen Sue Over New Electronic Monitoring Rules

Fishermen Claim 24-Hour Tracking Devices, Aimed at Protecting Endangered Whales, Are Unconstitutional

Maine lobster fishermen have filed a lawsuit against fishing regulators, claiming that new electronic monitoring requirements are unconstitutional.
The new rules, which went into effect on Dec. 15, require fishermen with federal lobster fishing permits to install 24-hour electronic tracking devices on their boats.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources promotes the new rule as a way to collect better data that can both benefit the fishery and help save the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announced the monitoring rules in 2022, stating that it is critical to gather and provide updated data about commercial fishing to aid the right whales, which number less than 360.
The tracking devices were issued to Maine lobstermen using congressional funding, but not all of the lobster fishermen issued the trackers have installed them.