Statistics of the Fishing Industry in the Public Waters of Ontario for the Year Ending December 31, 1970 



NEW CAPITAL INVESTMENT 



Equipment 



Engines 



Hulls 



Fishing Gear 



Wheelhouse Equipment 



Total Value ($) 



Lake 

 Ontario 



Lake 



Eric 



Lake 

 St. Clair 



Lake 

 Huron 



Georgian 

 Bay 



83,807 



318,067 



48,844 



35,009 



51,301 



Male and female kokanee, taken near Owen Sound in 

 Georgian Bay. Photo by W. D. Marshall. 



FISHERIES INVENTORY UNIT 



The purpose of the Unit is to ensure that standardized fish- 

 eries assessment surveys are conducted on the lakes and 

 streams of Ontario. 



A continual refinement and standardization of survey 

 techniques, and a search for and evaluation of better equip- 

 ment, is necessary to maintain the high degree of efficiency 

 demanded of our survey crews. More efficient echo sounders 

 and conductivity meters were made available during the 

 year for almost all crews. The new equipment reduced the 

 time required to complete a lake survey and thus enabled 

 crews to survey a greater number of lakes during the summer 

 season. 



Grews are instructed according to rigid standards, and 

 this year the training course was extended from one to two 

 weeks to allow time for more detailed instruction and a 

 practice lake survey. The course was attended by 19 per- 

 manent staff members and 52 university students. 



During the summer, 812 lakes were surveyed, either for 

 the first time or to update old or inadequate surveys. 



The surveys involved a detailed look at the chemical, 

 physical and biological properties of each body of water. 

 Echo sounding was carried out to determine depths for the 

 later preparation of contour maps. Ghemical tests were 

 made to record oxygen concentration, acidity and dissolved 

 nutrients. Netting was carried out to obtain information on 

 the fish species present. All observations were necessary for 

 the sound management of the fishery and for other recrea- 

 tional management practices. 



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