Page 43 Division of Fish and Wildlife 



for a number of years, has again decreased in production over the previous year. 

 This decrease amounted to 86,331 lbs. and the lower yield of lake trout in Lakes 

 Superior and Ontario and in northern inland waters accounted for this. Lake Huron 

 lake trout harvest is again insignificant. This once great lake trout area, which in 

 1936, the last good production year, yielded over 2 million pounds, produced in 1949 

 only 3.207 lbs 



Lake Erie. Georgian Bay and northern inland waters all had a substantial 

 increase in total catch for 1949 over the previous year. Lake Erie had an overall 

 increase of 4,166,686 lbs. due to the large yield of blue pickerel. Georgian Bay 

 produced an overall increase of 650.087 lbs., attributable mainly to a larger catch of 

 whitefish. The whitefish in Georgian Bay showed a steady decline from 1939 to 1947. 

 decreasing from a catch of over one million pounds and reaching its lowest production 

 of 87,316 lbs. in 1947. The prospects of an increased yield in whitefish in Georgian 

 Bay appeared evident in that 1948 showed a substantial gain over the low catch of 

 1947 and again in 1949 the yield of whitefish in Georgian Bay reached 804.947 lbs. 

 which is the highest catch since 1940. 



A general increase in production for all species in the commercial catch was 

 recorded for northern inland waters. The gain amounted to some 624.764 lbs. and 

 was attributed to a slight increase in whitefish. northern pike, yellow pickerel and 

 tullibee. 



DEVELOPMENTS IX THE FISHING INDUSTRY 



Nylon Nets 



The introduction of the use of nylon twine in gill net fishing in the Great 

 Lakes has brought about a very definite improvement, according to the fishermen, in 

 netting fish. Many of the gill netters of Lake Erie in the past year have replaced their 

 cotton and linen twine with nylon and reports from these fishermen indicate, in some 

 instances, that the nylon net may be as much as three times as efficient as either cotton 

 or linen twine. 



Trap Nets 



The pound net fishing industry of Lake Erie is also looking for improvement in 

 fishing methods through a more efficient and economical type of gear. During the 

 past year a few of the pound netters have replaced some of their pound nets with 

 trap nets on an experimental basis for the purpose of obtaining some definite data 

 as to the efficiency of trap nets as compared to pound nets. 



INVESTIGATIONS 



Lake Trout Baited Hook Licences 



Investigations were continued in connection with the baited hook licences in 

 the Georgian Bay area. This investigation has been conducted during the summer 

 months of 1948 and 1949 and additional work is to be carried on next vear as well. 



