The recent row over lobster licences between the Ministry of the Environment and local fisherman has been peacefully resolved after the one person to miss out was given a last-minute reprieve by Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield last night.

Responding to what they claim were "numerous complaints" about the way in which licences were administered in the past, Environment Ministry officials announced in July that 14 of the 27 total licences would be allocated by way of a lottery ? bringing to an end the old system whereby a licensed lobster fisherman would either have to give up his licence or die before anybody else was allowed to work in the industry.

The remaining 14 licences would be reserved, the Ministry said, for those who had been in the lobster business for more than 25 years or those who were over 65.

The announcement initially sparked outrage among the majority of lobster fisherman, who were irked particularly by the lateness of the decision which came only a few weeks before the season begins on September 1. Most had already spent thousands of dollars on bait and equipment upgrades, they claimed, and some would therefore face severe financial difficulties if they were not lucky enough to have their names pulled out the hat.

Surprisingly however, only 15 fishermen put their names forward for the lottery at the Department Of Environmental Protection yesterday ? just over half the expected number ? which ultimately meant that Richard Pereech was the only disappointed individual in the lottery's aftermath.

In a show of unity however, the 14 successful applicants offered to each give up one of their lobster pots to allow Mr. Pereech to work ? a proposal Ministry officials laid before Mrs. Butterfield last night.

Rather than require the lucky 14 to each sacrifice one of their pots, Mrs. Butterfield instead gave the go-ahead for an additional license to be offered to Mr. Pereech together with 12 pots of his own ? a move which went down very well with the previously seething lobster fishermen.

"I'd like to thank the Minister for agreeing to approve an extra licence for me ? I thought I was in real trouble for a moment there," said a relieved Mr. Pereech who phoned last night.

"I'd also like to make clear my appreciation to the 14 guys who got their licences through the lottery and who still offered to give up one of their pots. That was a very generous thing for them to offer. They didn't have to do it and I am extremely grateful."

Meanwhile, Minister Butterfield said she was "very pleased" the dispute had been resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned while Senior Fisheries Officer Brian Luckhurst also expressed satisfaction with the responsible way in which the fishermen had handled the issue.

There are now 28 licensed lobster fishermen, Mr. Luckhurst said, meaning a total of 336 pots will be in local waters this season ? a "modest increase" on last year's figure.

He was keen to stress, however, that the number of licenses on offer is reviewed on a yearly basis and the decision is based on a close monitoring of a whole host of different factors throughout the course of the lobstering season ? in particular the number caught and their size.

Those over 65 or with 25 years' lobstering experience were exempted from the lottery, Mr. Luckhurst explained, because the Ministry is keen to ensure that there is a "core group" of lobster fishermen who are known to be proficient and responsible ? a reassuring presence which makes regulating the industry "significantly more efficient", he added.

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