The Environment Minister yesterday refused to dismiss fish pots as a potential future method of fishing.

"The issue is not how you do something, but what you do,'' Arthur Hodgson told The Royal Gazette yesterday. "I'm not ruling out or ruling in anything.

I'm trying to maintain a clean slate.'' Mr. Hodgson made the comments after the environmental action group "Friends of Fish'' -- last heard from during the controversial fish pot ban almost ten years ago -- challenged Danny Farias' recent appointment as Chairman of the Marine Resources Board.

In a letter sent to The Royal Gazette , one of the group's members described Mr. Farias' appointment as a "dire mistake''.

"This indicates to all the other users of the marine environment that the new Government only cares about the few fishermen and not the whole marine environment and the many other users,'' the letter stated.

"This position will create conflict between the fishermen and other users of the marine environment.'' Mr. Farias -- with Mr. Hodgson as one of his lawyers -- fought a four-year legal battle against the fish pot ban and subsequent fallout.

But his appeals were eventually rejected by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.

Yesterday, Stephen Cook, a spokesman for FOF, also suggested Mr. Farias' appointment was politically based.

"I see a political deal. I see political obligation,'' he said. "They (the PLP) owe him a political debt for his efforts.'' "That creates a very real danger that this Government will find one way or another to bring (fish pots) back,'' he added.

And the FOF letter claimed the re-introduction of fish pots would "make us the laughing stock of the scientific world''.

However, Mr. Hodgson defended the appointment.

"Mr. Danny Farias is a member of the PLP -- a long term member -- a person in the fishing industry, a person that can give me advice in terms of directions,'' he said.

"Any attempt to pre-empt any result by picking on the personality is not helpful without giving him an opportunity to perform.'' And he went on to say the "final outcome'' on how the Island's fish stocks would be managed was still unknown.

But he maintained marine reserves were "a renewable resource which must remain renewable''.

"We may put a ban on all fishing,'' he pointed out.

Mr. Farias was more pointed in dismissing the letter's claims.

"I haven't heard anything about any fish pots, have you?'' he said.

And he denied his appointment would cause dissension and cited support given by US Consul General Robert Farmer and others.

"I was appointed by the Minister to do a job and I intend to do that job to the best of my ability,'' he said.

He also challenged FOF to voice their concerns with members who had been re-appointed from the previous board.

And he said the Board held a five-hour "marathon'' meeting on Monday to discuss the broad spectrum of problems within the local environment.