illegal fishpots have not had their fishing vessel licences renewed.

It is not known how many of those arrested have lost out, but Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson has used his discretion in not giving out the permits.

Agriculture and Fisheries Director John Barnes said the Minister had chosen not to issue some of the licences. It is not known how many were turned down, but it is a small number of the 200 or so licences.

The news comes after Marine Police seized another illegal fishpot on Sunday evening as the crackdown on the traps, which have been banned since 1990, continued.

Five fishpots were seized during the past week with the last coming after Police officers acted on a tip-off from a member of the public.

They confiscated the pot shortly before 6 p.m. off Argus Banks.

Police have arrested eight people so far and seized an undisclosed number of pots as part of an operation launched in mid-March against the illegal trade.

A Police spokesman said this week that the first defendants were expected to appear at Magistrates' Court on May 22 in connection with the operation.

He added that Police were delighted by the response from the public and were encouraging anyone with information about illicit fishing activity to come forward.

Among those arrested earlier this month were Government Marine Resources Board member James Parris and his brother Noel.

Officers confiscated their boat, Outrage , and various pieces of equipment in waters just of Pitts Bay Road on May 2.

Police earlier arrested Andrew Farias, the son of former Marine Resources Board chairman Danny Farias.

In subsequent operations, Marine Police seized two fish pots containing a 50 pound rockfish and 15 lobsters.

Government banned fishpots in 1990 because, according to the recent Green Paper on Marine Resources and the Fishing Industry, they "kill indiscriminately''.

The report also noted that "recovery of fish species has only just begun to be noticeable since the ban''.