senator of "twisted distortions.'' Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto said she listened with amazement to Sen. Ira Philip, the PLP spokesman for the environment in Senate.

She said: "It is very distressing to me to note that the Opposition spokesman in Senate has no familiarity with the working of the Ministry at all.'' Sen. Philip had said that Ignis Seafoods, a British Company had been given permission to fish in Bermuda's waters and will compete with local fishermen, removing resources and even getting their gear tangled up with that of the local fishermen. He said that there was no advantage to Bermuda.

He also accused Government of having a hidden agenda and of trying to keep the whole thing quiet.

Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto said Sen. Philip had got it entirely wrong. She said she had personally issued a two-page Press release on the opportunity being afforded the local fishing industry to go to sea with, and participate with, the 75-foot longline vessel Anna C that Ignis Seafoods had chartered for exploratory fishing. Fishermen were also informed in their February newsletter.

She said: "While the Anna C would be permitted inside the 75-mile exclusion zone, it was prohibited from fishing the areas currently used by local fishermen, including Argus and Challenger Banks and an area around the whole of the Island, and would, therefore, not get tangled up with the local fleet.

"This vessel is capable of fishing a much wider area than 75 miles from the Island and would likely do so. Furthermore the vessel fishes for about seven days at a time before it returns to port.

"The Anna C is rigged for longline fishing and will target big-eye tuna, a species seldom caught by Bermuda fishermen.'' Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto said the fish caught would be exported and not compete on the market with local fish.

She said: "The Ignis project provides them with a hands-on opportunity to study fishing methods and to test international markets so important for this type of fishing.

"Sen. Philip criticised the Government for not underwriting the cost of getting a vessel like the Anna C to come to Bermuda. I cannot understand the logic behind this. The Anna C is coming to Bermuda at no cost to the taxpayer and making itself available to the local fishermen.'' She said she was equally appalled over statements made by the PLP Senator about planning.

Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto said: "Sen. Philip held up a sheet of paper and said that he had evidence that Government was proposing to institute measures to protect the interest of the registered professional architects who, he said, were mostly non-Bermudians, by making it law that the non-registered technicians, who he said are all Bermudians, would no longer be able to submit plans for anything larger than a tool shed.

"The proposal, I believe, was one put forward by the registered architects and engineers. While the proposals suggest limits on the scope of work capable of being submitted by the non-registered technicians, these limits, in my opinion, reflect the informal limits used by the majority of technicians themselves.'' She said the department was still waiting a response from the technicians who have been given the proposals. She said: "It must be emphasised that the prime objective of all groups is to establish a system for ensuring that all buildings constructed in Bermuda are safe.''