Among the changes to be unveiled when Finance Minister Eugene Cox wheels out the Budget today will be a new look Environment Ministry, with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries dissolved and an overall reorientation to a five-department format.

This week Environment Minister Dennis Lister offered The Royal Gazette a sneak preview of the changes which include a sharpened focus on environmental protection and a department dedicated solely to marine resources.

The Ministry will be ditching its current four department structure of Planning, Agriculture and Fisheries, Land Valuation and Parks.

Environment has already undergone extensive change following last November's Cabinet shuffle which saw ministerial responsibility pass from Terry Lister to Dennis Lister.

During the shuffle, areas which had once included under Terry Lister's wing as Minister for Environment, Development and Opportunity were reallocated among four different ministries, Dennis Lister said.

Most notably, responsibility for the former baselands has now moved to Works and Engineering, and Human Rights and Consumer Affairs fall into Minister Randolph Horton's Community and Culture portfolio.

"Much of the new Budget, as it relates to the Environment Ministry, will focus on the restructuring of the ministry and funding to make that happen," Mr. Lister said Wednesday.

Since taking office in November, Mr. Lister said much of his time has been dedicated to working with management services to restructure effectively.

The large amount of ministerial change means it will be difficult to make a straight comparison in the Budget allocation for Environment this year as opposed to the 2001 but the ministry may see increased funding.

"You'll have to wait for the Budget to be read to know," the Minister said coyly on Wednesday, when asked whether there would be more money for the Environment Ministry.

What is certain however is that three new Environment departments will be created - Conservation Services, Environmental Protection and Marine Resources Research.

There will be no change to the departments of Planning and Land Valuation.

Mr. Lister said there would be no job losses as a result of the Ministry restructuring although some staff will be asked to assume new or additional roles.

Senior staff will also be shuffling and Mr. Lister said there will be a need to appoint at least one new department director.

The physical location of the Ministry's various offices will also be shuffled.

"Conservation Services will basically be assuming many responsibilities which were in Agriculture and Fisheries and Parks with the majority of its programmes being in three areas - the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ), biological conservation and the environmental exhibition," Mr. Lister said. "The Parks section will assume responsibility for all open spaces including upkeep, redesign and design of any new public parks."

The Department of Environmental Protection will take on roles formerly handled by Agriculture and Fisheries and others that fell within the Ministry headquarters.

Among responsibilities of this department will be all animal and fisheries wardens, the monitoring of environmental indicators, overseeing plant and animal health controls and regulating pesticides.

Environmental Protection will be housed at the Botanical Gardens. The new Marine Resources Research department will be charged with the proper use and protection of all Bermuda's marine resources - from fish to coral reefs to sunken treasure, Mr. Lister said.

Government completed a green paper on marine resources last year and he said he looked forward to bringing policy initiatives to the House as a white paper in 2002.

"This is a good paper highlighting the status of our marine resources which was produced by a true cross-section of people in the community and marine industries," Mr. Lister said.