Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSSETTS: Hundreds line up to attend wake of beloved Lily Jean captain

February 10, 2026 — Hundreds of mourners will fill St. Ann’s Catholic Church on Tuesday morning for the funeral of Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, the captain of the Lily Jean, a fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Cape Ann on Jan. 30.

The entire crew, including Sanfilippo, was killed. Only Sanfilippo’s body has been recovered from the boat.

Loved ones began lining up late Monday afternoon, bundled up against the raw and windy sea air in Gloucester, to attend Sanfilippo’s wake.

“The sadness in there is just unbelievable — he’s got a young son, a young daughter, they are crushed,” said friend Vito Giacalone.

Read the full article at WCVB

MASSACHUSETTS: Before the herring return, Cape Cod needs people to count them

February 10, 2026 — On a still April morning, one of the most important things happening on Cape Cod is easy to miss unless you’re really looking. No crowds. No signs. Just narrow ribbons of water where silver flashes push upstream, muscle and instinct carrying river herring from the saltwater back to the ponds and wetlands where their lives began.

For decades, those fleeting migrations have told a quiet story about the health of the Cape’s ecosystem. Now, local researchers and conservationists say the story needs more listeners.

The Association to Preserve Cape Cod is recruiting volunteers for the 2026 river herring count season, a citizen science effort that relies on something everyone knows how to do: count. All it requires is people willing to show up consistently, watch carefully, and write down what they see.

The commitment is not a heavy lift, but the payoff is anything but lightweight.

“Ten minutes at a run, a few times a week, adds up to information we can use to track the run, spot problems, and see whether restoration work is paying off,” said Mike Palmer, an ecologist at the APCC who coordinates volunteer monitoring across the region.

Read the full article at the Cape Cod Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New bill takes aim at climate-driven quota challenges

February 9, 2026 — Legislation introduced by a trio of U.S. senators would require NOAA Fisheries to more formally account for climate-driven shifts in fish stocks when setting commercial fishing quotas.

The bill, titled the Supporting Health Interstate Fisheries in Transition (SHIFT) Act, is sponsored by Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts. The legislation would direct the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to investigate when fish stock has shifted from one regional fishery management council’s jurisdiction into another’s and coordinate management between councils going forward, according to an article published by SeafoodSource.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

MASSACHUSETTS: Gloucester fisherman remembers brother and nephew lost at sea on fishing vessel Lily Jean

February 9, 2026 — Rick Beal has always been drawn to the sea, but the Captain of the Santo Pio is now faced with a feeling he’s never had in his 74 years.

“I’m pretty doggone shook up,” Rick said. “This is the first time in my life I have ever really thought about quitting.”

Rick’s brother Paul Beal Sr and Paul’s son Paul Beal Jr, who was known as P.J., were two of the seven people lost at sea when the Lily Jean went down as it was steaming home with a load of fish. The ship sank just 22 miles from home.

“You don’t ever think that you’re not going to see him again,” Rick said.

He spoke with us along side his daughter, Angela Scarpa, who grew emotional as she spoke about her family.

“My uncle had this laugh,” Angela said. “It was so infectious. He had a great smile. PJ was a lot like his dad.”

She added, “They were both doing what they love.”

“The adventure, the fishing, it is a way of life,” Rick said.

Read the full article at WCVB

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishing council mourns loss of seven people in Gloucester fishing boat tragedy

February 6, 2026 — The council that oversees New England’s fishing industry on Friday recognized the loss of seven people who were aboard a fishing vessel when it sank off the coast of Cape Ann on Jan. 30.

“The New England Fishery Management Council extends our sincere condolences to the families, loved ones, and fishing communities affected by the tragic sinking of the F/V Lily Jean” the council said in a statement.

Seven people perished in the tragedy — the captain, Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, Paul Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short, Sean Therrien, and Jada Samitt, a NOAA fisheries observer who was aboard the vessel.

Read the full article at the The Boston Globe

Remembrance of the F/V Lily Jean

February 6, 2026 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council extends our sincere condolences to the families, loved ones, and fishing communities affected by the tragic sinking of the F/V Lily Jean on Friday, January 30, 2026.

A full remembrance, along with information on how to support the families impacted by this loss, is available here.

MASSACHUSETTS: Gloucester nonprofit launches support fund for Lily Jean crew member families

February 5, 2026 — The Gloucester community launched a fund to help provide for the families of seven crew members who died last week when their fishing vessel sank.

The Lily Jean Fund, named after the vessel, was started after an outpouring of support from Gloucester residents. The crew members are presumed to have perished after their ship sank Jan. 30 approximately 22 miles from Cape Ann.

“In the wake of this tragedy, there have been overwhelming expressions of support for the families of those who were lost, along with requests for a clear and trusted way to provide direct financial assistance,” the fund’s website reads. “The Lily Jean Fund has been created for this purpose.”

Read the full article at Boston.com

Fund created to support families of 7 crew members killed in Lily Jean sinking

February 4, 2026 — Gloucester, Massachusetts, is deeply mourning the 7 crew members of the Lily Jean, who were killed after the fishing vessel sank off the coast of Massachusetts.

The community is also creating a safety net to support the families left behind.

“Fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the country, and our New England waters are the deadliest,” said President and CEO of Fishing Partnership Support Solutions, J.J. Bartlett.

A new fund has been created specifically for and will be split equally between the families of Captain “Gus” Sanfilipo, Paul Beal, Sr. and his son Paul Beal Jr., John Paul Rousanidis, Freeman Short, Sean Therrien and federal fisheries observer Jada Samitt.

Read the full article at WCVB

MASSACHUSETTS: Tarr & Local Officials Share Ways to Support Families and Fishing Community Following Loss of F/V Lily Jean

February 4, 2026 — The following was released by Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr:

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) joined state, local, and community leaders today to announce verified and secure ways for the public to support the families and fishing community affected by the tragic loss of the Gloucester fishing vessel F/V Lily Jean.

On Friday, January 30, 2026, the Lily Jean sank approximately 22 miles off Cape Ann, resulting in the tragic loss of seven crew members. In the wake of this tragedy, there have been overwhelming expressions of support for the families of those who have been lost, and requests for a means for donors to provide direct financial assistance to those families.

“In the wake of this tragedy, there has been an extraordinary outpouring of compassion,” Tarr said. “People want to help, and it is critically important that they have clear, trusted, and transparent ways to do so—both to support the families directly and to ensure that essential services are available to the community.”

F/V Lily Jean Fund Established to Support Families

The F/V Lily Jean Fund has been established to provide direct financial assistance to the families of the seven crew members who perished. The fund accepts tax-deductible contributions, and 100 percent of all donations will be distributed in equal amounts directly to the families.

The fund is a project of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund (GFCPF) and is hosted by Cape Ann Savings Bank. This effort reflects a long-standing tradition within the Gloucester fishing community of standing together in times of profound loss.

GFCPF, also known locally as the Gloucester Permit Bank, was formed in 2007 to support fishermen, protect the working waterfront, and preserve Gloucester’s fishing heritage as the nation’s oldest seaport. Through its stewardship of fishing permits and quota, GFCPF has helped sustain a diverse, locally based fishing fleet and contributed more than $100 million to the local working waterfront economy.

Immediate and Ongoing Support Through Fishing Partnership Support Services

 Tarr also expressed deep gratitude to Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS) for its immediate response following the loss of the F/V Lily Jean and its continued commitment to supporting families and community members affected by this tragedy.

FPSS, created by and for the fishing community, is providing critical assistance to the families, including trauma and grief counseling, emergency financial assistance for food and housing, access to health care, and long-term recovery services.

“Fishing Partnership Support Services has been there from the very beginning, offering compassionate, practical support when it is needed most,” Tarr said. “Their work is essential to helping fishing families navigate both the immediate aftermath of loss and the long road ahead.”

Those wishing to support essential services provided by FPSS may donate at: https://fishingpartnership.org/donate

A Shared Loss Across Fishing Communities

While Gloucester mourns, Tarr noted that fishing communities across the region have also experienced loss. Martha’s Vineyard and Stonington, Connecticut lost fishermen this January, and communities in Maine endured devastating tragedies last year.

“These losses remind us of the risks fishermen face every time they leave port and of our responsibility to support the men and women who provide for our families, our economy, and our country,” Tarr said.

How to Help — Verified and Secure Ways to Donate

 F/V Lily Jean Fund

  • Donate online: https://fvlilyjeanfund.org
  • Donate by check:
    • Payable to:       Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund (GFCPF)
      Memo line:       Lily Jean Fund

Mail to:             Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund | c/o Cape Ann Savings Bank

109 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930

Fishing Partnership Support Services

 

MASSACHUSETTS: The Lily Jean sinks in frigid waters, and Gloucester is once again a fishing community in mourning

February 3, 2026 — This city of hardy fishermen knows grief all too well. Inscribed on the seawall along the harbor are the names of thousands who set out from the country’s oldest fishing port over the centuries and never returned. On Friday, seven more were lost in the frigid waters of the Atlantic.

Since then, the people of Gloucester have been coming to their Fisherman’s Memorial — a bronze statue of a skipper clutching the wheel of his boat as he faces the open ocean — to leave flowers and mourn these fresh losses. The scene is a somber reminder of how dangerous commercial fishing can be.

“It’s just really hard — really hard for everybody,” said Brek Beard, who stopped by the memorial Monday as the sun was setting. He was a longtime friend of the captain of the Lily Jean, Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, a seasoned and respected skipper from Gloucester.

“He was a good man. I remember him when he was just a kid,” said Beard, recalling Sanfilippo not only as an experienced captain but also as a good carpenter and a “hard worker.”

The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a formal investigation into the sinking of the 72-foot fishing vessel, which went down this past Friday, 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann. All seven crew members were lost and are presumed dead; one body was recovered — Sanfilippo’s.

Read the full article at wbur