Wilson. — The White fish 97 



the carefully estimated amount of 95% of their catch of 

 food fish. Already the Georgian Bay Fishery Commission, 

 alarmed at the decrease in the annual catch of whitefish, 

 have recommended to the Dominion Government a measure 

 which would prohibit the export of this species. This half- 

 way method does not, however, meet with the views of the 

 Ontario Game and Fisheries Commission, but rather that 

 the power of the trust should be broken and that the re- 

 quirement of all classes of her citizens should first be met, 

 equal attention being paid to the coarse as well as the finer 

 varieties of fish; and, need we be surprised at their position, 

 when we realize the fact that, immediately preceding the 

 Lenten season, two years ago, in the United States, the fish 

 trust advertised cold storage suckers and mullet at five cents 

 per pound. Truly an ennobling prospect for the poor as they 

 approach this annual period of fasting and prayer — a dis- 

 grace on any nation. Ontario doubts not that prohibition 

 of exports in a modified form would be a powerful factor 

 in remedying the deplorable condition both of her fisheries 

 and her fish market. Expression of their views is found in 

 the conclusion of the Commission under general recommen- 

 dations in regard to the Great Lakes commercial fisheries, 

 section 8, and is as follows : "That steps be taken to have the 

 export of whitefish and lake trout prohibited for a term of 

 at least five years by a Dominion regulation, and that, mean- 

 while, the further export of these fishes be prevented by 

 the endorsation of licenses issued to the fishermen and fish 

 buyers, with a provision to that effect." In addition to the 

 above, the Commission deals quite extensively with the 

 question of an export duty on both coarse and fine com- 

 mercial fishes. While both Dominion and Provincial Fish- 

 ery Departments are showing great interest in these matters, 

 there appears another powerful factor in the matter. Ref- 

 erence is made to the Commission of Conservation of Can- 

 ada. In one of its reprints of report of 1911, quoting from 

 the report of the Manitoba Commission regarding whitefish 

 size limits, recommends closing of summer fishing at least 



