But compared to Australia, Florida and her Caribbean neighbours, Bermuda remains like a fish out of water.

And some scuba diving tourists feel almost cheated when they explore the Island's underwater world.

That is the view expressed by many Bermuda diving clubs who strongly backed the fish pot ban.

"You better believe it. There's no doubt about. There are more reef fish right across the board,'' said Mr. Mike Bacon, instructor at Southampton's Nautilus Diving.

Miss Deborah Moran, instructor for Warwick's Fantasea Diving, agreed. "It's still not what it should be, but we have noticed an improvement.'' Clubs backed figures which showed Government's controversial fish pot ban appeared to be working.

The Fisheries Department said the ban's second year demonstrated the protection of reef fish.

There was a 17 percent increase in "miscellaneous reef'' fish in 1992 compared to 1991, according to the department's monthly bulletin.

"It should be noted that apart from the parrot fish and other true reef dwellers this category also includes a number of other species which have become the target of exploitation by some fishermen.'' And the report added species once mostly taken in pots now made up 11 percent of catches.

Fishermen now spent more time using hooks and lines and nets.

"Much of this effort was directed towards those species, primarily jacks and snappers, which were believed to be reasonably abundant and which could be readily taken by hook and line,'' the report stated.

Overall catches for 1992 were "virtually unchanged'' from those in the previous year.

Two years ago Government launched an underwater survey of fish. Divers sit on the sea-bed, at depths of about 40 feet, and count the numbers of fish in the area.

Fisheries director Mr. John Barnes said it would take up to five years to draw any conclusions.

It was impossible to detect any trend so far. "I haven't seen the latest figures, but we need more before we can make meaningful comparisons.'' Local diving clubs, however, have little doubt -- Bermuda's fish are on the way back.

Miss Moran said the improvement over the past two years was marked.

"There are bigger schools of basic reef fish, including jacks, snappers, and trumpet fish.'' But she added Bermuda had a lot of catching up to do.

"Tourists comment that compared to other areas, such as the Caribbean and Australia there are not many fish in Bermuda.'' Mr. Bacon said there were now noticeably more parrot fish, groupers, red rock fish, trigger fish, squids, and juvenile butterflies.

"There are even a lot more turtles and morays.'' Mr. Bacon said there were "near enough'' as many young fish as 10 years ago, when he started as an instructor.

"But tourists do comment there are not enough, particularly when compared to places like Australia, the Red Sea and Florida. But the position here is improving.'' Mr. Bronson Hartley, who runs Bronson Hartley's Underwater Wonderland in Flatts, said the reef fish population seemed to be reasonably healthy now.

As a helmet diver and instructor, he said he did not go far enough out to sea to be that good a judge.

But it was clear there were more schools of snappers, and fishermen spoke of increased numbers generally.

Mr. Greg Hartley, who runs Under Sea Adventures in Somerset, voiced caution.

"It will take a long time to get back where we were. We are not out of the woods yet.'' And his message to Government was: "Please don't lift the fish pot ban.'' A spokeswoman for Paget-based South Side Scuba Water Sports said: "There are definitely more fish.

"There are heaps more baby fish. Obviously there is no official way of knowing since I don't count them.

"A lot of tourists compare us to other places, such as the Cayman Islands where there are protected areas.

"We are probably not anywhere near the fish stocks there, but we re getting there.''