32 MARINE AND FISHERIES 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



In Georgian Bay whitefish are taken by gill-nets southward and by pound-nets 

 northward. They are occasionally taken with baited hooks. The food consists 

 of Small, sometimes minute, lamellibranch and gastropod molluscs, and small 

 crustaceans. Specimens taken on the shoals in fall are commonly found to have 

 eaten fish eggs, which are evidently picked up from the bottom with the usual food. 



Taking Georgian Bay proper, the total catch of whitefish for 1909, as reported 

 by the Superintendent of Game and Fisheries, was 382,392 lbs., and including 

 the North Channel, 856,521 lbs. The statistics of a period of years show a gradual 

 falling off in the annual catch, for which it is probable that several conditions are 

 responsible. This matter has been discussed by the Commission appointed in 1905 

 by the Dominion Government to investigate the fisheries of Georgian Bay, and 

 remedial measures are proposed. Both whitefish and trout owe any advantage 

 that they possess in respect of escaping the nets of the fishermen to the fact that 

 they are deep-water forms, inhabiting largely situations where complete fishing 

 is impossible. Whitefish, however, are bottom-living types, and considering both 

 the great amount of gill-net fishing at present carried on in these waters, and the 

 alleged fishing of net in excess of that granted by license, it is not surprising that 

 fishes of this kind should become less plentiful year by year. It may be pointed 

 out also that any balance of numbers in favor of the lake-trout, as at the present 

 time, is distinctly a balance against the whitefish, whose smaller numbers are 

 less able to withstand the natural drain of providing through the young fish, 

 together with lake herrings and perch, the enormous food-supply required by 

 the lake-trout. Finally, the waters of Georgian Bay have been continuously 

 fished for a long period of years, and little constructive work has been done in 

 the matter of artificial propagation and distribution of whitefish in this region, 

 a condition which it is hoped will be remedied. 



Genus Leucichthys. 



Specimens of the lake herrings taken in the southern parts of Georgian Bay have 

 been examined by Dr. Barton W. Evermann, by whom they are referred to two 

 species, one being the Saginaw Bay or Georgian Bay herring (L. harengus), the 

 other the Huron herring (L. Cisco huronius). L. harengus occurs in Lakes Huron 

 and Michigan, and occasionally in Lake Erie. It is the most important element 

 in the fisheries of Saginaw Bay, Michigan. The species was originally described 

 by Richardson ('36) from specimens taken at Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay, 

 but has been only recently differentiated by Jordan and Evermann ('09) from the 

 species L. artedi. Only a few specimens of this type of herring have been taken, 

 and since these are for the most part immature specimens, no analysis can be 

 given. In general the species is close to L. cisco huronius, but is distinguished by 

 the small size of the adipose fin, less cylindrical body, and grey coloration. 



The Huron herring, or blueblack herring, occurs in Lakes Huron and Michi- 

 gan, and occasionally in Lake Erie. A few specimens, evidently of this type, 

 have been taken in deep water during the summer off the Giant's Tomb Island, 

 but the fish is only seen in numbers in the southern part of Georgian Bay during 

 the inshore run in November. 



