1908 GAME AND FISHERIES. 13 



GAME AxXD FISHERIES INSPECT0K8. 



Toronto, March Ist., 1909. 

 E. Tins LET, 



Superintendent Game and Fisheries, 



Sib, — I beg to submit report for the season of 1908. 



Commercial Fishing. 



The catch of the past season was, with a few exceptions, as good as in 

 former years, in some cases much better, notably that of herring in Lake 

 Erie, where the lifts of fish were so heavy that the market was glutted, and 

 for a time it was impossible for the 'fishermen to dispose of them at a 

 remunerative price. 



Lake Ontario produced during the season of 1908, at least double the 

 number of whitefish that were caught during 1907, most of this increase 

 being in the Bay of Quinte, and adjoining waters. The catch of herring 

 was also far above the average. Lake trout were also a good catch, and would 

 have been better if the weather about the 1st of November had been more 

 favourable : it was very stormy about that time and interfered with the work 

 of the fishermen, but this was in some ways a blessing, as the extension of 

 open season for seven days in November was not as harmful as it otherwise 

 would have been. 



Yellow pickerel were not as plentiful as formerly, and sturgeon are almost 

 a thing of the past, and if a close season of a few years for the latter is not 

 soon made, they will be entirely depleted. 



The patrol boat "Edna Ivan" visited nearly all commercial fishing ports 

 from the Niagara River to Port Arthur, and no doubt was the means of pre- 

 venting a great deal of illegal fishing ; although she did not succeed in finding 

 a great number of illegal nets (20 trap nets and 3 seines being seized and 

 destroyed) her presence would prevent these nets being used to the extent 

 they were formerly. If this boat, or a similar one, is again in commission, 

 as well as the gasoline launches and the auxiliary yacht provided for the 

 overseers on the Georgian Bay, where most of these nets were used, I believe 

 in another season it will be practically stamped out. ^Another great help, 

 both in preventing the destruction of immature fish and illegal fishing, was 

 the placinar of inspectors at several of the more important fishing stations ; 

 these men being on the ground all of the time did more to destroy the market 

 for these fish than could have been done bv any other means, and if the 

 market is destroyed the temptation to catch fish illegally is considerably 

 lessened. I would recommend that this system be increased, as there are 

 several stations where they could be placed advantageously. 



I congratulate you on the success of this new plan, and ^.so on the class 

 of men secured to fill the rather difficult position, th«y all having done 

 splendid work, and I can say the same of your whole staff of overseers with 

 very few exceptions. 



Before leaving the commercial fishing, I wish to say a word in favour of 

 the fish hatcheries. The fishermen in Lake Ontario give the Sandwich and 

 Cape Vincent hatcheries credit for the increase of whitefish in those waters ; 

 those at Point Edward give the same credit, and T must acknowledge that I 

 believe they are right in doing so, along with the better enforcement of the 

 close season. 



