The families of two Bermudians who died in a fishing tragedy last week have welcomed plans for a permanent memorial on the Island to remember those who have been lost at sea.

Premier Jennifer Smith announced yesterday that she had been in discussion with a number of her Cabinet Ministers and they together believed that relatives and friends of people lost at sea should have somewhere to remember and honour their loved ones.

She said it was Government's intention to set up a committee to look at the idea, but said affected families and members of the community would be given input.

The move follows last week's death of fishermen Alan Edness, 56, and Micah Battersbee, 29, when the New Nuts sank 80 miles off the north east coast of Bermuda.

Only the boat's skipper Robert (Bobby) Lambe managed to make it out alive after a freak wave overturned the boat on Tuesday night, causing it to sink soon after.

He was picked up an incredible 20 hours after the boat had gone down by the American hospital ship the USNS Comfort.

The Premier, who is a first cousin of Mr. Edness, said the names of the lost would be imprinted on the memorial, and said although a location had not yet been found, it could be placed within one of Bermuda's National Parks.

Catherine Lymbery, long-time partner of Mr. Edness and mother of his 13-year-old daughter Alex, said she was pleased to hear about the planned memorial.

"It's something that I have already spoken to Alan's sister, Maureen, about, and we think it would be absolutely terrific," said Ms Lymbery, at the family home in St. Anne's Road, Southampton.

"Most times, when someone dies, you have a grave or somewhere you can go, but for people lost at sea, there is nothing. It's important to know there is something.

"It will be nice for everyone to be on one monument, but hopefully, Bermuda won't need to add to it too often."

The father of Mr. Battersbee, Owen Enos, said he would be very interested to see a permanent monument erected, and said he would also like to have some input into its design and creation.

He said: "I think a memorial would be a great idea. There has been quite a few guys who have been lost and it would give us somewhere to go.

"I don't know what they are going to come up with, but I think anything relating to the ocean, such as boats and fish, would be nice.

"It needs to be somewhere near the ocean, like a secluded park, where it is fairly private but easy to get to. I would like that very much."

Mr. Enos, who has not spoken publicly since his son died last week, said he was slowly coming to terms with the loss of his son, who was also his friend and partner in their fishing business.

He said: "Right now, I still break down and cry. Every time I go up to his boat, when I look at it, I just break down. I turn around and just hope that he would drive up. Every day I used to get there first and he would drive up after me a couple of minutes later, and then we would start our day fishing.

"No matter what I do now, he comes into my mind. We weren't just father and son; we were partners and we were like buddies."

But Mr. Enos said he felt no resentment towards Mr. Lambe at all.

"They did everything together. They had big plans and goals together. They would spend one day on Bobby's boat and the next on Micah's.

"I have no hard feelings against Bobby. It's just the way it happened."

The Royal Gazette spoke to Mr. Lambe yesterday on board the USNS Comfort.

He, too, said he welcomed the idea of a monument for the lost at sea.

"I would definitely welcome that. There has been quite a few fishermen lost around the Island, but there is nothing like that. It will be somewhere for families to go."

The Premier said Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown had offered his department's services to help establish a list of the lost whose names should be included in the memorial.

And Environment Minister Dennis Lister said his Ministry could also assist with the compilation of names, as well as helping to find a location in one of the parks.

But Ms Smith said she hoped the local art community could be involved in the early stages, possibly in a design competition.

However, she said credit for the initiative should go to the Edness and Eddy families, although she said proposals were to invite all concerned families to have involvement in the creation of the memorial.

The Premier is in Oxford, England, this week, along with Ministers Brown and Lister and Senator Col. David Burch, Minister of Housing, for the Biennial Bermuda Seminar at St. Antony's College.

The seminar concluded yesterday (MON) after two days of discussion on sustainable development in Bermuda: The Prospects and Challenges.