next week over the lobster trap tampering scandal.

On Thursday Fisheries wardens confiscated traps from at least three of the Island's 20 licensed fishermen because escape hatches had been modified to catch smaller lobsters.

But now the fishermen claim the go-ahead to alter the traps came from the Fisheries Department at a recent meeting.

And the Bermuda Industrial Union has come out in their support, claiming they "did nothing illegal''.

Although the two camps hope to resolve the issue in talks next week, it appears that both sides are still at loggerheads over the issue. While the fishermen claim they have been caught up in a net of bureaucratic misunderstanding, the Environment Minister has insisted the tampering was a deliberate breach of regulations.

Mr. Pearman has now ordered an examination of all traps to make sure they have not been altered.

In a statement issued yesterday he said: "The modifications seen in the confiscated gear was a reduction in the size of the escape gaps.'' "In most cases a piece of wire had been run down the length of the escape gap thereby nullifying its effectiveness as an escape device.

"There were to be no modifications to the Government issue gear and I had directed the department of Agriculture and Fisheries to carry out whatever enforcement action would be necessary to ensure that this fishery was directed only at spiny lobsters.'' Mr. Pearman also warned that non-compliance with the terms of the fishery could lead to permits being revoked.

"I consider this to be a very serious matter because it puts in jeopardy a $600,000 industry,'' he said.

"I will be giving further consideration to the issue, particularly with respect to those individuals alleged to have been in violation of the conditions.'' Acting Environment Permanent Secretary John Barnes also argued that no amendment agreement had been made, claiming that department officers had no jurisdiction to amend licensing rules.

And he said that the department had no record of any new regulations being made. "In so far as modifications are concerned we don't have anything in writing and the terms of the licence are extremely explicit,'' he said.

"If you sign a piece of paper that states no modifications then that's what's going to hold water.'' But BIU president Derrick Burgess, after meeting with fishermen, launched a counter claim, saying they had not acted illegally.

"They haven't done anything to break the law,'' he said.

"Everything they have done has been discussed with the department. We will be meeting with the minister some time next week and hopefully he will listen to what we have to say.'' And fisherman Alan Bean said: "We are trying to make Government understand that it appears from our standpoint that one side of Government didn't know what the other side was doing. In our view there's been a breakdown in communication.

"But as one who has been involved I know everything that has taken place. I have compiled a report to go to the union showing a complete history of what has been going on with the Government and the fishermen since August and the present situation.

"Nobody is intending to break the law because its not in our interests and we have to work together to go forward.'' Although Mr. Bean could not say when an agreement to modify escape hatches had been made, he remained adamant that Government approval had been given.

A date for the talks has yet to be arranged.