The Commercial Fishery 



Ontario commercial fishermen produced 54,953,634 pounds of fish during 

 the twelve months of 1961. This is 15.9% greater than the amount taken the 

 previous year, and is exceeded only by the record production of nearly sixty 

 million pounds of 1956. The 1961 catch is 13.2% above the average production 

 of the last ten years. 



Value of the 1961 catch, to the fishermen, was $5,745,882.72. This is an 

 increase of 16.4% above the previous year, but 13.0% below the average value 

 of production for the past decade . The continuing predominance in the overall 

 catch, during the last three years, of yellow perch and smelt, which usually are 

 comparatively low in price, and a coincident small proportion of the more 

 valuable species such as pickerel and whitefish which were prominent in former 

 years, has effected a reduction in average price per pound by about one third. 

 Yellow perch, for the fifth year, ranked first in quantity and comprised a third 

 of the 1961 production; smelt accounted for a quarter of the catch, and pickerel 

 and whitefish combined, one eighth. 



The number of fishermen employed in the Province dropped 10% to 3,059 

 men with decreases noted in Lakes Ontario, Erie, Superior and in inland areas. 

 The number of men employed in the fishery in Lake Huron increased again in 

 1961 due to the continued high production of whitefish and chubs. 



Equipment statistics, of fishing vessels, nets and shore installations used in 

 the fishery, show little change from the previous year in either numbers or value. 

 Investment in equipment increased slightly to $10,377,304. Excluding bait fish 

 licences, the number of commercial fishing licences issued dropped 214% to 

 1,784. 



The 15.0% increase in landings for the Province resulted from higher 

 production in six of the nine fishing areas. In three areas catches decreased: 

 Lake Superior was down by 16.8%; Georgian Bay 7.8%, and Northern Inland 

 waters by 3.3% from the previous year. 



Significant increases were reported from Lake Erie, where landings were up 

 22.2% from twenty-nine million pounds in 1960 to thirty-five million pounds in 

 1961. The value of the catch increased at about the same rate (21.7%). Trawl- 

 ing, under permit in Lake Erie, produced nearly ten million pounds of smelt 

 along with 400,000 pounds of yellow perch and white bass combined, and small 

 quantities of other species making a total of 10,275,000 pounds, worth $307,000. 

 The use of trawls appears to be the most satisfactory and economic method for 

 taking commercial quantities of smelt throughout the year. Seventy-five per cent 

 of the commercial catch of the Province was taken in Lake Erie trawl operations. 



In Lake St. Clair, production was up one third with a value increase of 

 42.8%. In Lake Huron, the catch was up by 36.4%, and the value by 

 32.6%. Other fishing areas showing increases include: Lake Ontario, up by 

 7.7% in production and 11.8% in value; the North Channel of Lake Huron 

 by 19.3% and 29.2% respectively; and Southern Inland waters by 27.4% in 

 production, and a significant value increase of 49.5%. 



The composition of the catch continued the pattern established in recent 

 years. As indicated previously, yellow perch and smelt accounted for a major 

 part of the production and showed increases of 46.0% and 12.0% respectively 

 over the previous year, principally due to Lake Erie production. Nine other 

 species contributed significantly, ranging from just under one million pounds of 

 northern pike to nearly four million pounds of whitefish, while fifteen other 

 species classifications were reported in lesser quantities. Some other changes of 



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