Report of the Department of Lands and Forests for fiscal year ending March 31, 1951 Page 36 



COMMERCIAL FISHING SECTION 



Commercial fishing licences issued in 1950 for Ontario waters totalled 2,722. 

 They may be sub-divided into two classes — those issued for taking commercial fish 

 primarily sold for food, and commercial minnow licences for taking bait fishes. 

 The number of minnow licences totalled 866, an increase of 156 over the previous 

 year. Of the 1,856 commercial fishing licences issued for use in taking marketable 

 fish, gill nets comprised over one-half, with 1.021; hoop nets totalled 267; pound and 

 trap nets 185; seines 169; baited hook licences 142; and other types which include 

 dip nets, power dip nets and trolling licences totalled 72. 



The gill net continued to be the most important type of fishing equipment in 

 the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes with the exception of Lake St. Clair where 

 its use is prohibited. In northern inland lakes gill nets are employed in taking both 

 scaled fish and sturgeon. L"se of gill nets through the ice in winter fishing is an 

 important aspect of the industry in many of the northern lakes. In southern inland 

 waters the use of gill nets is restricted entirely to the removal of carp. 



Pound nets are still the second most favoured gear in Lake Erie, Lake Huron, 

 Lake Superior and some northern Ontario waters, but the use of trap nets, which in 

 some areas of Lake Erie and Lake Huron are more favoured by the fisherman, is 

 rapidly growing in importance and may largely replace pound nets in the future. 



Hoop nets are used extensively in the more shallow waters of Lake Ontario's 

 Bay of Quinte area and in southern inland waters as well as in Lake of the Woods, 

 where they take important catches of both coarse and commercial species. 



Seine nets are used throughout Ontario, in shallow waters where soft bottoms 

 are found, for taking coarse fish, especially carp, suckers and catfish. 



Baited hooks are important in northern rivers and lakes, Lake St. Clair, the 

 Niagara River and the St. Lawrence River for taking sturgeon; in Georgian Bay 

 for taking lake trout, and in many southern waters for catching catfish, eels or coarse 

 fish. 



Dip nets are used largely for coarse fish throughout the Province and a few 

 trolling lines take trout and other species. 



]\Iinnows are taken commercially by dip nets, seine nets, and by wire traps. 

 An increased number of minnow licences in 1950 reflects the increasing demand for 

 live bait and the response of this part of the Industry to the anglers' and tourists' 

 needs. 



The sea lamprey, which is trapped by the Department to assist in protecting 

 the fish resources from this destructive parasitic animal, was experimentally com- 

 mercialized in 1950. There appears to be some possibility that the lamprey may 

 become a part of the commercial catch and find a restricted market. 



The total harvest of the commercial fishing industry for the year ending 

 December 31, 1950, was 32,755,813 lbs. of fish with a landed value of just over 

 6^ million dollars ($6,252,046.51). Although there was a decrease from 1949 of 

 1,305,448 lbs. or 3.8%, in the total landed catch the total value increased by 

 $755,209.63 or 14.1%. Both increase in value of the fish and larger catches of some 

 more valuable species were factors resulting in the higher value. The industry was 

 at the same time faced by increased costs of gear and labour. 



