Fourth Annual Report 



OF THE 



Game and Fisheries Department of Ontario 



To the Honourable J. 0. Keaume, 



Minister of Public Worhs. 



Sir, — It is again my duty to submit for your consideration and approval the 

 Report of the Department of Game and Fisheries for the twelve months ending 

 October 31st, 1910. 



The statistics comprising value of fish caught and plants operated by licensed 

 fishermen during the calendar year 1909, and other important matters whicli 

 could not be computed or prepared for the ten m.onths ending October 31st, 1909, 

 appear in this report, which, with other important matters, I venture to hope 

 will receive from you the approbation accorded those preceding it. While there 

 has been increased expenditure, due to increased remuneration to overseers and 

 others to some extent commensurate with the services rendered, also to the purchase 

 of boats and cost of keeping them in commission, this increase has been fully 

 justified by a large and satisfactory increase of revenue. 



Enforcing of Law^s and Eegulations. 



As a rule the Department has had less difficulty in enforcing the fishery regu- 

 lations than in former years, in a large measure due to the more efficient and 

 better equipped staff of overseers, who, with few exceptions, have given the Depart- 

 ment faithful and effective services. Still I regret to saj^ that there are a number 

 of tug fishermen who in their licenses have most valuable privileges, but who 

 in their increasing greed persistently ignore the conditions on which their licenses 

 are acquired, to the detriment and injury of others. Those having dharge of 

 public affairs have from time to time been compelled in the interests of the public 

 at large to withdraw or cancel privileges in consequence of their having been most 

 grossly abused. The Government will be justified in future in requiring sub- 

 stantial bonds from those fishermen who have failed to observe the conditions on 

 which their licenses were issued, when applying for renewal of licenses, the bonds 

 to be forfeited to the Government in the event of non-observance of regulations. 

 This would have a most salutary effect, not only preventing violations, but also 

 protecting the rights of those fishermen who act in accordance with the regulations. 



In consequence of the large increase in the number of hunters in the Province, 

 and the increased destructiveness of modern firearms, it has been considered neces- 

 sary to reduce the number of deer that can be legally killed in one year to one. 

 For similar reasons, the open season for several of our most valuable species of 



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