A lawsuit filed last week in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for Thurston County alleges that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has violated constitutional rights by imposing round-the-clock global positioning system (GPS) surveillance on Dungeness crab fishing vessels.   Undercurrent News reviewed the 18-page court document, which outlines claims from three Washington-based crab boat captains: Sara Franey, Brent Young and Mark Young. 

The plaintiffs, represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), argue in their lawsuit filed on Nov. 13 that the program constitutes warrantless 24-hour surveillance. This infringes on privacy rights protected by the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution and Washington State's constitution, said the non-profit civil rights group [...]