‘Perfect Storm’ skipper fined for illegal fishing

ISLE AU HAUT, Maine — Fisherman and author Linda Greenlaw, who survived the nor’easter that was the basis for the book and movie “The Perfect Storm,” was fined Tuesday for fishing illegally in Canadian waters.

A judge in St. John’s, Newfoundland, imposed fines of around $31,500 in U.S. currency for entering Canadian waters and fishing illegally last fall. The Canadian government also seized her swordfish catch.

“I’ve got to either catch a lot of lobsters or sell a lot of books to pay the fine,” Greenlaw said Tuesday from her home in Maine. She was not required to attend the hearing in Canada.

Portrayed in the film by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Greenlaw played a prominent role in the story written by Sebastian Junger. She was the last person in contact with the Andrea Gail, a swordfish boat out of Gloucester, Mass., that sank with all hands during the 1991 storm.

Greenlaw, 48, was skipper of the Sea Hawk and fishing with a 32-mile line last September when she ran afoul of Canadian fisheries regulators. She said she was attempting to retrieve part of her fishing gear that had been dragged by another boat when her 63-foot boat inadvertently strayed into Canadian waters.

She said didn’t realize she had breached the country’s 200-mile limit.

“I’ve never been accused or charged with any offense, either fishing or otherwise,” Greenlaw said. “This isn’t the brightest page in my book, but there it is.”

These days, Greenlaw spends most of her time fishing for lobster and writing books. She said she’ll consider doing some more swordfishing this fall.

In the meantime, the author of six books including “The Hungry Ocean” and “All Fishermen Are Liars” is working on a seventh book to be published next year by Viking Press that focuses on her 52 days at sea last fall. Part of the book will deal with the Canadian episode, she said.