business.

Some are fiercely critical of the two-year-old trial lobster pot fishery. And their demands to the Environment Ministry will include: Lift, or ease, restrictions on where they can fish.

Increase the size of the pots; and Allow pots to be placed inside the reef-line between the end of December and March 31.

Figures for the second year of Government's experimental fishery -- which ended on March 31 -- are still coming in. But they will show the fishery fell far short of 21,500 -- the official limit on catches.

Government officials, however, have tagged the experiment a "reasonable success''.

They blame the low catches on windy weather, and a slackening in some fishermen's commitment.

Permanent Secretary for the Environment Dr. James Burnett-Herkes said catches per trap were holding up.

And Fisheries Director Mr. John Barnes said: "We are quite encouraged.'' Mr. Barnes said this year had been a "vast improvement'' on 1992. He estimated total catches would come to about 14,000, according to preliminary statistics.

Mr. Barnes said a wide-ranging report should be produced in the next fortnight once all the statistics were in. It would help shape a fishing policy for next year.

The trial fishery, which lasts from September 1 to March 31, involves special traps designed to catch just lobsters.

Government leases out the pots to fishermen, who have been allowed to make certain changes to them.

The proposed three-year experiment started after Government slapped a general fish pot ban on March 31, 1990.

Evidence had mounted of Bermuda's main food fish being wiped out through the highly efficient pots.

But the ban provoked an outcry from fishermen, who feared it would ruin their trade.

In the first year of the trial with new pots, about half the 25 fishermen invited to take part did so.

This second year saw 20 licenses issued, although some men did not begin fishing until mid-October.

One former pot fisherman, Mr. James Parris, said the experiment had been a "waste of time''.

"The new pots are highly inefficient, and you catch considerably less,'' he said. "Because they are small they make it easy for predators such as turbots and octopuses to kill the lobsters, who have no room to escape.'' Mr. Parris admitted some fishermen did a lot better than others under the new method.

But generally the trade had suffered badly since the general fish pot ban, he said.

Mr. Parris said fishermen had voiced their complaints at a recent meeting at the Botanical Gardens. And they had drawn up a list of 12 recommendations.

Fisherman Mr. Linwood Outerbridge said the recommendations would go to Government once all this year's fishery statistics had been compiled.

"I don't think the experiment is working as good as it should be because there is such a limited area that we can fish in.

"I feel, in fact, it is doing more harm than good fishing in one area.'' Mr. Outerbridge said fishing was limited to 25 to 35 fathoms. He wants all restrictions lifted.

"I want to get back to where we were before the ban,'' he said.

Mr. Outerbridge also said the pots -- three-feet by four-feet -- needed to be enlarged.

"Currently they are just not big enough for the ocean,'' he said.

"We are losing a lot of pots because they are not very stable, and get swept away in bad weather with the swells and tides.'' Mr. Outerbridge felt fishermen should have the option between the end of December and March 31 of bringing their pots inside the reef-line.

This would provide some protection, and prevent the losses.

Mr. Outerbridge said he had lost seven pots this year because of the weather between December and March.

Dr. Burnett-Herkes admitted windy weather had caused problems with the pots.

He added another "mitigating factor'' for the low catches this year was those men who did not pursue pot fishery.

"They had different personal reasons. Some, for instance, prefer to go in for fin fishing as opposed to lobster fishing.'' Dr. Burnett-Herkes added: "The experiment has been reasonably successful so far, enabling us to compile statistics.'' Mr. Barnes pointed out the success rate of fishermen with the new pots had differed widely.

This was because of the differing abilities of the fishermen, with some being far more experienced than others.

Mr. Barnes said a full review of the fishery trial would take place after the three years were up.

He added the aim of the experiment was to gather enough information to provide a "sustainable and controllable'' lobster fishery.