Fisheries officials have discovered two illegal fish pots on Challenger Banks.

And yesterday Fisheries warden John Edmunds said the matter was under investigation and that the pots -- which had been emptied and returned to shore -- would soon be destroyed.

Mr. Edmunds said the two pots were discovered full of fish in about 180 feet of water on Monday. He added that about two to three illegal pots were presently being found each week.

But sometimes, he continued, that number escalated when wardens found a string of five or ten pots on one occasion.

Most illegal pots were found when charter fishermen got their trolling gear caught up in the pots or in the rope connecting them to the surface, he added, losing hundreds of dollars worth of gear in the process.

And while wardens had a good idea of who was putting pots down, it was very hard to prosecute them unless they were caught in the act.

But out on the ocean, he joked, it was very hard to sneak up on somebody and many illegal operators were acutely aware of the profile of fisheries vessels and could spot them miles away.

They were also using modern positioning equipment such as Global Position Satellite to allow them to drop their pots without the tell-tale surface floats making the warden's job of detecting them more difficult, he said.