blackballed him for three years over allegations it has never proved.

He said he was denied the $49,000 "ex-gratia'' payment Government promised him for turning in his fish pots after the 1990 pot ban.

And he has been repeatedly spurned by Fisheries Department officials in his attempts to take part in the experimental lobster fishery, now entering its final year.

Mr. Barnes is suing Government for the money he was promised for loss of livelihood due to the fish pot ban.

He filed the writ in 1990 when then-Environment Minister the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto told him was not getting the money because he was not in good standing. But the case has yet to reach court.

Mr. Barnes claimed the hold-up was due to Government lawyers. His lawyer Mr.

Michael Mello was "ready to go''.

He said he was forced to go public for fear he would never again be allowed to fish for lobsters.

Mr. Barnes said he nor his partner, his 65-year-old father Eugene, had ever been before the courts for a Fisheries offence.

Yet fishermen found guilty of Fisheries offences -- and who never pot fished prior to the ban, were allowed to take part in the lobster fishing experiment, he claimed.

As a result of being denied a lobster licence, Mr. Barnes has had to put in lon ger hours at sea to line catch enough fish to make ends meet and support his wife and two children. His winter lobster catch used to account for a substantial chunk of his income, he said.

Permanent Secretary for the Environment Dr. James Burnett-Herkes said Mr.

Barnes was not in good standing because he had "abused and contravened'' his fishing licence by having on board far more fish pots than he was alotted.

Fisheries had evidence of this, he said. And "the number still did not add up'' if the pots belonged to a friend as he claimed.

Defending the issuing of lobster licences to individuals convicted of Fisheries offences, he said the offences had been minor, such as not having a fishing licence on board.

Dr. Burnett-Herkes said he could not comment on Mr. Barnes' ex-gratia payment because there was a court case pending. But the hold up was not due to Government, rather the preparation of affidavits by both parties.

Mr. Barnes said he and his father considered themselves in "good standing'' because they had voluntarily handed in their fish pots.

Charges were never brought against him for having excess fish pots, he said.

He added any excess fish pots Fisheries officers might have seen on his boat had belonged to a fishermen friend.

He said he had applied twice to take part in the experimental lobster fishery, in 1991 and this year.

The first time, he was told he was "not in good standing''. The second time, Fisheries stated it had "received more applications than the maximum number of permits which we are able to offer''.

Mr. Barnes said he was eager to take part this year, because fishermen were allowed to use their own lobster-only pots under the supervision of Fisheries.

He met last week with the new Environment Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons to discuss the situation, but had not yet heard back from him.

Mr. Michael Barnes.