457 



THE FISHERIES CF ONTARIO. 



In the preceding section the natural history of the specie'^ of fi^h which are 

 important from an economical point ot" view has been treated at considerable 

 length. We must now proceed to consider their absobite and relative liconomic 

 importance, their relative frequency in diti'erent parts of the Province, the nature 

 and value @f the apparatus employed in the fisheries, and the number of men who 

 find occupation in connection therewith. 



In discussino; the subject it is necessary to remember that so far it is only 

 the Great Lakes which have become of great economical impoitan^e, an^l that the 

 possibilities as important sources of a cheap food supply of the inland waters of 

 the Province have not yet attracted public attention. 



The following Tables extracted from the last Dominion Fishery Report give 

 valuable information on the points in question. 



It appears from Table I. that of 3,040 men employed in the Fisheries of the 

 Province about one-tifth are from Lake Ontario. Lake Erie comes next with ;")2(), 

 Georgian Bay with 4.3C, Lake Huron with 427, Manitoulin division witli 3^7 

 and Lake Superior with 119. 



It also appears that the Georgian Bay heads the list with regard to the 

 number of fathoms of gill-nets in use, Lake and River St. Claii- l)y the s-ines in 

 use, and the lower part of Lake Ontai-io by the saialler hoop-nets, while Lake 

 Eiie is distinguished by its number of pound-nets. 



Table IT. informs us of the relative value of the fisheries, thi^ G 'oro-ia^i Bay' 

 being at the head of the list with .S'):iO,4!J8, out of a total .S2,0()!J,G:}7, ir.kfi Erie 

 next, ibllowed by the Manitoulin division, Lake Huron, Like Sui)eri.ir ami fjike 

 Ontario. We also learn from it that the Geor-gian Bay stands at thi heul of the 

 list in both Whitefish and Lake Trout tisheries, that Lake Kiie on tiie oilier hand 

 comes Hr.->t in the Herring, Sturgeon, Ba-s, Pickerel and oarse-tish iisiierius, that 

 Lake Scuu'Og is the head<|U irters of thi Maskinonge fishery, that tlie gieit^r [)ro- 

 portion of Pike cotne from the iiiver So. Lawrence, ani of Eels from Weilin"-wOii 

 county, including the Ciedit River. 



Fri^m Table III. we learn that the following js the relative economic value 

 of the various species of food-fishes, not classitieJ as miscellaneous or cjaise lioh : 



1. Whitefish. 



2. Lake Trout. 



3. Lake Herring. 



4. Pickerel. 



5. Sturgeon. 



6. Bass. 



7. Maskinong^. 



8. Pike. 



9. Eels. 



