FISHERIES SECTION 

 Game Fish and Hatcheries Sub-Section 



Public interest in sport fishing in Ontario continued at a high level in 1962. 

 Although there is no way at present to accurately determine the number of anglers 

 that fished in Ontario during the past year, it is evident from the several indices 

 available that there was a definite increase in the popularity of the sport in most 

 areas of the Province. 



It is significant to note that the sale of non-resident angling licences increased 

 from a total of 409,873 in 1961 to 426,775 in 1962. The total revenue from all 

 angling licence sales, including Provincial Park and Organized Camp licences, 

 increased from $2,527,212.49 in 1961 to $2,608,574.50 in 1962. Complete details 

 on all fishing licence sales for 1962 together with comparable annual records for 

 the previous three years are given in Table I. 



The Provincial Park programme which continued to expand throughout 1962 

 was an added incentive to anglers to go afield. Statistics from the Parks Branch 

 sliow that some seven million persons used park facilities during 1962 and that 

 this constituted an increase of approximately 10 per cent in one year. These 

 figures are believed to be indicative of the increased public interest and enthusiasm 

 tor most forms of outdoor recreation. Based on the results of a household survey 

 conducted in 1959 and on subsequent increases in angling activity as noted 

 annually, it is estimated that some two million anglers participated in Ontario's 

 sport fishery in 1962. 



Fact finding programmes relative to fisheries management were carried out 

 in all of the twenty-two forest districts. The problems and the requirements of 

 management vary considerably from district to district and work programmes are 

 developed accordingly. A good deal of basic information on the condition and 

 quality of the lakes and streams and on the health and strength of the various 

 fish populations contained therein was collected by district personnel. In a number 

 of projects, extensive fish tagging or fish marking programmes were undertaken 

 to assess the status of the respective fish populations. Studies of present utilization 

 and availability of fish to anglers were conducted on numerous waters and special 

 short term investigations were carried out to collect information on other specific 

 projects (i.e. pollution, fluctuations in water levels, spawning periods, etc.) as 

 required. 



In northern Ontario particularly, the construction of new access roads to 

 remote areas provided new horizons for many interested anglers. While the develop- 

 ment of such areas extended the range for investigation and management, the 

 benefits derived from the improved access and, particularly, the resulting dispersal 

 of fishing pressure, greatly facilitated and enhanced the use of the resource. 



Hatcheries 



The Department operated eighteen fish cultural stations in 1962. These 

 included eight trout-rearing stations, six pond stations and four jar or trough 

 hatcheries (including one sub-station at Normandale). The number and variety 

 of fish produced in 1962 is summarized in Table II. An outline showing the total 

 armual production and distribution by species and age group for the five-year 

 j>eriod, 1958 to 1962, is also included as Table III. 



All of the hatcheries, except the Chatsworth and Normandale trout-rearing 

 stations, were operated at or near their normal carrying capacity. The renovation 

 of the Chatsworth Hatchery restricted the production at this site but the recon- 



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