Gerald Simons in a bid to avoid being shut out of any future decisions involving their industry.

During the two-hour meeting at BIU headquarters, they announced plans to bring in an overseas labour expert to help them set up a fisheries cooperative.

The fish pot ban had "played havoc'' with the lives of Bermuda's fishermen and their families, BIU leader Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP claimed.

Fishermen were also frustrated at what they felt was a lack of consultation over Government's experimental lobster fishery plans.

And they feared Government was about to implement an "unnecessary'' ban on parrot fish.

Mr. Simmons said members of the BIU Fisheries Divisions wanted to open dialogue with the Environment Ministry and establish a friendly working relationship with Mr. Simons, who replaced the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto.

Now Works Minister, Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto was responsible for implementing the controversial fish pot ban two years ago.

The meeting was attended by 20-30 fishermen and several of their wives.

According to the Minister, who described the meeting as "generally very pleasant'', the chief concerns raised were about the experimental lobster fishery and a need for better organisation of local fishermen.

They felt one month's notice was not enough time to get their lobster traps ready to take part in the experiment, which starts in September and ends in March.

The Fisheries Department had only told them in August if they were allowed to take part.

Mr. Simons said the fishermen were also concerned about "a possible abuse'' of spear fishing licences, which allow casual fishermen only two lobsters a day in season.

He said the meeting was not so much to solve problems, but to "get them out on the table''. But he assured he would look into allowing more notice to be given to fishermen eligible to take part in the lobster fishery.

This year was the final year of the experiment, he noted. But he expected a permanent lobster fishery would be established following a review.

There was "no shortage of lobsters out there'', he said, it was just a matter of finding the right lobster-only pot.

Mr. Simons welcomed the idea of a fisheries coop, saying it would allow for fishermen to buy equipment in bulk and use a uniform lobster pot, instead of everyone coming up with their own.

The Fisheries Department would certainly support their effort, he said adding: "I believe a coop would do a lot of good for the fishing industry in Bermuda.'' Mr. Simons added fishermen generally did not feel a parrot fish ban was necessary.

He assured he would take their comments into account in considering whether or not to implement the ban.

However, he noted it was not aimed at fulltime fishermen, but at the "casual fisherman and divers who may be taking reef fish''.

The group of fishermen at the meeting was led by rebel fishermen Mr. Danny Farias, who fought a fisheries conviction this summer claiming the fish pot ban flouted the constitution. A Court of Appeal decision is due in October.

Mr. Simmons said: "The fishermen's chief concern was to establish a good working relationship with the Environment Ministry. We see it as a new beginning.'' He said fishermen were keen to form a fisheries coop and wanted to know if Government would support them.

The coop was needed for a number of reasons, he said, including establishment of a central location for ice and storage of surplus fish.

"It will give them a better opportunity to make a decent living,'' he said.

"All the fishermen complained that since the pot ban they have had to work much harder, their income is much less and they have had to spend much more time at sea and away from their families.'' Mr. Simmons said another of the fishermen's concerns was that their input was not sought in the design and size of the experimental lobster-only traps.

They felt they were being left out of important decisions affecting their industry, he said.

Mr. Simons said he looked forward to further meetings with the fishermen and would be advising the Marine Resources Board of their concerns.