Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: ‘Help us understand this loss’: As the victims of the Lily Jean begin to be identified, Gloucester grieves together

February 2, 2026 — Every pew and standing space at Saint Ann Church in this coastal city was filled Sunday with parishioners and members of the tight-knit fishing community. They came, church leaders said, to honor “the families and all of those who have died at sea,” after the Lily Jean, a 72-foot fishing vessel with seven people on board, sank offshore early Friday morning.

“In the Lord of sea and sky . . . help us understand this loss,” said the Rev. James Achadinha, his words echoing through the crowded sanctuary.

In a city long shaped by the sea, about 1,000 people gathered to mourn the seven people presumed dead. Two victims have been identified: Sean Therrien, 44, a Lynn native who had recently taken a winter job on the Lily Jean after being laid off from construction work, and Jada Samitt, a 22-year-old federal fisheries observer from Virginia. The Coast Guard and church leaders did not confirm the names of the other victims.

The vessel’s emergency beacon activated at 6:50 a.m. Friday, and a Coast Guard helicopter found debris within 40 minutes about 25 miles out, Captain Jamie Frederick said at a Saturday news conference. The search was called off the following day, renewing a familiar grief in a community where thousands have been lost to the water over four centuries.

Read the full article at The Boston Globe

MASSACHUSETTS: Tarr Statement on the Sinking of the Gloucester F/V Lily Jean

February 2, 2026 — Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today regarding the sinking of the Gloucester F/V Lily Jean:

 “Every day, men and women leave ports like Gloucester to harvest the bounty of the ocean for the people of our state and our nation, carrying with them the very real risk of not returning home. The sinking of the F/V Lily Jean makes the consequences of that risk painfully real. 
 
Tonight, we are deeply appreciative of the ongoing and courageous efforts of the United States Coast Guard, whose personnel continue to search through the night, in dangerous conditions, for the crew of the F/V Lily Jean. Thank you also to the Gloucester Police Department, Gloucester’s Harbor Masters, elected officials and all of the those who are supporting the community during this difficult time. We are praying for those aboard the vessel and their families who are enduring the anguish of not knowing the fate of their loved ones.
 
Most of all, we stand together with those families, sustained by the enduring strength, unity, compassion, and faith that have long defined the Gloucester community since its earliest days.”