REPORT OF THE (''OMMTSSIONER OF FISHERIES. 37 



Just prior to tlie Avhitotish spinvuin^ season on Lalce Ontario 

 arran<rements -were made witli the Dominion and Ontario provincial 

 fishery authorities lor the cooperative collection of e<;^<j;s in the Cana- 

 dian waters of Lake Ontario. Under this arranf!::ement it was a<;reed 

 that the first 3(),(H)(),()0() e<z^s obtained by American spawn takers in 

 Canadian waters shoukl be delivered to the provincial hatcheries, but 

 that all collections in excess of that numi)er were to be sent to the 

 Cape Vincent station. It later developed that the jn'ovincial hatch- 

 ery required only i21,S()(),00() e<^<::s, and that was the actual number 

 furnished. The plans outlined early in the season provided for 

 collectin<r stations at Deseronto, By<^otts Point, and alonj; the shore 

 near South Bay, Ontario. A severe storm during the first week of 

 operations precluded an}'^ collections, and when the weather improved 

 the season was well advanced. At this time the market price of 

 whit-efish dropped to 6 cents per pound, which resulted in the practi- 

 cal abandonment of the fishery at Deseronto. Still another incident 

 that had the effect of further handicappino; the lish-cultural work at 

 this point was the opposition by fishermen to the recent action of 

 Dominion and provincial fisherv authorities in closing certain sec- 

 tions of the upper reaches of the Bay of Quinte to commercial fishing. 

 This feeling was reflected in the failure of many of the fishermen to 

 lend assistance. Only 6,300,000 whitefish eggs were obtained in the 

 Deseronto field, but there is reason to believe that by establishing 

 better relations with the local fishermen, and with favorable weather, 

 this point can be extensively developed as a collecting station. At 

 Bygotts Point and South Bay the fishermen were in hearty accord 

 with the work and rendered valuable assistance. However, the 

 weather was a serious drawback, and egg collections at both points 

 suffered therefrom. At South Bay, for example, the total take of 

 whitefish eggs for the season was 39,805,000, of which number 25,- 

 000,000 were taken in two nights of favorable weather. Bygotts 

 Point station yielded 30,500,000 eggs. Each of these fields is com- 

 parativel}^ new, being occupied for the second time only, but promises 

 to be very productive when fully developed. On the grounds near 

 Cape Vincent 8,800,000 eggs were secured, bringing the grand total 

 for the season to 83,665,000 eggs. In addition to those turned over 

 to the Province of Ontario, 2,800,000 eggs were shipped to the NeAv 

 York Conservation Commission, 2,500,000 eyed eggs were planted in 

 Lake Ontario, and small lots of eyed eggs to the number of 1,900,000 

 Avere shipped to Central Station, the New York Aquarium, and 

 Warren, X. Y. The remainder were retained at the station and the 

 resulting fry returned to the waters of Lake Ontario. 



In the lake herring or cisco work on Lake Ontario no new fields 

 were entered in 192(3. Collections of eggs from the catches of the 

 fishermen were made at Sodus Point, Fairhaven, and Cape Vincent 

 to the number of 181,150,000. The eggs, which were of remarkably 

 good (juality, Avere disposed of in various ways: Some lots were 

 sent to the Michigan Fish Commission, the New York Aquarium, and 

 Central Station, and 87,700,000 were consigned to the New York Con- 

 servation Commission. The remainder, appi'oximately 90,000,000, 

 were retained at the Cape Vincent hatchery and yielded 73,505,000 

 fry, which Avere planted in suitable local waters. 



The hatching of lake trout in 1920 Avas on about the same scale as 

 in 1919. During the spaAvning season in Lake Superior the employees 



