A senior member of staff at American International Group was yesterday bullish about the future of the company in Bermuda saying: "We've been here 60 years and we'll be here another 60 years."

AIG staff were yesterday at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo helping to clean up as part of a community service initiative.

Through out the day, 22 staff members volunteered to roll up their sleeves to do some refurbishing of the Aquarium, including gardening, cleaning tanks, construction and landscaping.

While they were demolishing one of the rooms, one staff member found a time capsule dating from 2002.

The staff felt it was too early to go through it and put it back in the place where it was originally buried.

During the group's break, one senior member of staff told The Royal Gazette: "We have been doing business here on the Island for 60 years and we look forward to being here 60 more years. We are the core of international business here."

He added: "No one's job is in jeopardy."

Earlier this week AIG became a high profile victim of the crisis in the world's financial markets when it was bought by the US Federal Reserve to save it from collapse. AIG It is thought to employ about 200 people in Bermuda. Lehman Brothers, the world's fourth largest investment bank, was taken over by the Bank of America as it, too, fell victim to the volatility in the markets.

The collapse of AIG and Lehman Brothers has sparked wider fears that international business in Bermuda could be affected.

In yesterday's Royal Gazette, Bermuda College economist lecturer Craig Simmons said the Island's companies are starting to make big cut-backs.

Former United Bermuda Party leader Dr. Grant Gibbons also spoke of his fears in Bermudians losing their jobs.

He said that the Federal Reserve's decision to give AIG a two-year $85 billion loan, may impact the firm's operations and employees in Bermuda, as well as, effect the Island's businesses on a whole.