Maine’s Lobster Boat Tracking Regulation Upheld by Appeals Panel

Lobstermen in Maine failed to overturn the dismissal of their lawsuit about a state rule requiring continuous trackers on their boats because a federal appeals panel said the regulation didn’t violate their privacy rights.

The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled on Tuesday that the Maine Department of Marine Resources rule helps inform the enforcement of Atlantic right whale protections for a closely-regulated industry, so it is exempt from the Fourth Amendment’s protections against searches in homes and commercial properties.

Judge Lara E. Montecalvo said the government’s regulatory scheme around conservation and sustainability “provides the functional equivalent ...