Washington Crabbers Sue State Over Mandatory 24/7 Warrantless Boat Tracking
Three commercial crab boat captains in Washington State are suing the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) over its Electronic Monitoring Program, which mandates 24/7 tracking of their vessels. The lawsuit, filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), argues that the program violates Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures, as well as the Washington Constitution. The crabbers are forced to purchase and maintain the monitoring hardware themselves, and the collected location data can be shared with law enforcement without a warrant or suspicion of criminal activity. The NCLA contends that the WDFW is exceeding its authority by turning a fishing license into a permanent tracking device, even when boats are used for non-crabbing activities like transportation or sightseeing. The plaintiffs are not accused of any wrongdoing, making the core issue the legality of constant, warrantless surveillance. 
