6. FISH POPULATION STUDIES 



Four major fish population studies were initiated in 1962. These include 

 Rainy Lake, Lake Nipigon, Lake St. Lawrence and the Pointe au Baril area 

 of Georgian Bay. 



These studies were chiefly concerned with the collection of information 

 on the productivity of the waters and the distribution, abundance and growth 

 of the existing fish populations. 



7. OUANANICHE SALMON PROJECT 



This project was initiated on Trout Lake, North Bay District, in 1962. 

 The purpose is to obtain information on the life history and the habitat require- 

 ments for this popular game fish in Trout Lake. With this information at hand, 

 it is hoped that the species may be successfully introduced to other suitable 

 waters. 



Regulations 



No major changes were made in the Ontario Fishery Regulations for 1962. 

 However, the following amendments are of general interest: 



(a) As a result of a reciprocal agreement, residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan 

 are now j>ermitted to angle in Ontario waters without an angling licence, except 

 in designated Provincial parks. 



(b) The daily creel and possession limit for rainbow trout taken during the fall 

 season in waters described in Schedule 3 was increased from two to five 

 fish i>er day. 



(c) The opening of the largemouth and smallmouth bass season was advanced 

 from June 10th to May 12th for the boundary waters between Minnesota 

 and Ontario. 



THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY 



The total catch of fish reported by the Ontario commercial fishery in 1962 

 was 63,783,597 pounds. This total exceeded the 1961 landings by 8,829,963 

 pounds, or 16 per cent, and was about four million pounds greater than the catch 

 in the record year of 1956. 



The value to the fishermen of these fish before processing was reported at 

 $5,341,200.00. In spite of the increase in landings in 1962, however, the total 

 value decreased by over $400,000.00 from that of the previous year. The average 

 price per pound for all species, as a consequence, was only 8.4 cents which can 

 be attributed largely to the continued high percentages of yellow perch and smelt 

 in the catch. Over one-third of Ontario landings was yellow perch selling at an 

 average price of 6.2 cents per pound and nearly one-third was smelt with an 

 average price of 3.5 cents per pound. Prices for species such as sturgeon, yellow 

 pickerel, whitefish and lake trout were relatively good during the year but their 

 total contribution to the catch was less than 15%. 



The changes that have occurred in the composition of the commercial catch 

 over the past five years have resulted in technological adjustments by the fishing 

 industry. In Lake Erie, trawling became the accepted method of catching smelt. 

 During 1962 nearly 17 million pounds of these small but desirable fish were taken 

 in this manner. A trawling experiment in Lake Superior for herring was also 

 carried out successfully during the year. 



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