NUMBER OF FISH DISTRIBUTED 



FROM ONTARIO PROVINCIAL HATCHERIES fcontmuedj 



Species 



l%" 



1968 



l%9 



Trout, Lake 



Eyed Eggs 50,000 



Fry 



Fingerling 328,443 



Yearling 1,291 ,969 



2 Year-olds 12,600 



Adult 405 



Trout, Rainbow 



Eggs 45,000 



Eyed Eggs 63 1 ,500 



Fry 6,000 



Fingerling 87,810 



Yearling 147,850 



2 Year-olds 29,500 



Adult 13,600 



Whitefish 



Eyed Eggs 300,000 



Fry 240,000 



Pike, Northern 



Adult 



303 



COMMERCIAL FISH UNIT 



The value of a balanced harvest of available stocks in im- 

 proving the recreational as well as the commercial fisheries 

 must not be overlooked in achieving maximum social and 

 economic benefits from a resource. 



The Commercial Fish Unit plays an integral role in the 

 program of full, sustained and multiple use of the fishery 

 resource in Ontario. 



The development and management of the commercial 

 fishery is accomplished through the assistance of field staff 

 by collection and analysis of biological and economic statis- 

 tics on the harvest; planning and co-ordinating surveys to 

 assess populations and evaluate the extent to which they 

 are utilized; protection of the biotic potential through regu- 

 lations (licences, seasons, quotas and size limits); and the 

 implementation of programs that would focus on the 

 modernization of the industry, making it responsive to 

 changing consumer requirements and needs while adapting 

 to a dynamic renewable resource. 



THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY 



The catch by Ontario commercial fishermen in 1969 of over 

 63 million pounds is the second highest on record. The 

 value of 7.4 million dollars for this catch represents a 24 

 per cent increase over 1968, which is the sharpest rise wit- 

 nessed by the industry in over 20 years. 



The commercial catch for the Great Lakes (56.5 million 

 pounds) surpassed the previous high of 1962 by nearly two 

 million pounds. Yellow perch and smelt were caught in 

 record quantities in Lake Erie, accounting for nearly one- 

 half and one-quarter, respectively, the total weight of the 

 commercial catch in Ontario. Other dominant species in 

 the Great Lakes fisheries are the lake herring from Lake 

 Superior, the lake whitefish from Lake Huron, and the white 

 bass from Lake Erie. 



The commercial fishery varies widely for the lake basms 

 and inland waters with respect to both size and composition 

 of the catch. The northern inland fisheries continue to be 

 the major source of yellow pickerel, lake whitefish, northern 

 pike, and sturgeon in the Province. 



27 



