claims that foreign ships were hauling thousands of dollars worth of fish in prohibited waters off Bermuda.

Mr. Barnes said that the alleged fisheries offences, disclosed on Monday night during a ZBM News report, were "news'' to him.

He said he had no information to suggest foreign fishing vessels were illegally pulling in half-a-million-dollar catches off Bermuda, as reported by the TV station.

He admitted that since 1980 the Fisheries Department had issued some 50 fishing licences to foreign vessels allowing them to fish offshore.

Mr. Barnes explained that Bermuda was required by international laws to grant such licences unless its people fished the waters. "We don't do any offshore fishing,'' he pointed out.

But he stressed there were conditions attached to those licences, including a condition that the ships must stay offshore and out of the waters where local fishermen fish.

He said the average cost of the licences was $2,500.

It was possible foreign vessels illegally fished offshore to avoid the licence fee, he said. However "anything's possible some 75 miles offshore.'' Mr. Barnes further said the Department had no evidence to suggest any illegal activity was taking place offshore.

He conceded it was possible that the fishing vessels granted offshore licences had encroached on local waters, either knowingly or by mistake.

Mr. Barnes was last night due to meet with Fisheries and Environment officials in order to examine the statistical forms that Government required offshore-fishing licence holders to fill out.

It may well have been -- as ZBM reported -- that ship captains admitted on the forms that they had fished in forbidden local waters, he said.

Environment Ministry technical officers usually look over the forms, he added.

"An investigation has begun to see if any foreign vessels have gone out of the areas they were allowed in,'' he said. "And, if so, to what extent.'' Mr. Barnes said if any fisheries offences were brought to light the vessels' local agents would be contacted and action taken.