ready for planting in Lake Huron, as per the recommendation of the Great Lakes 

 Fishery Commission, and that no other species be planted. Such an arrangement 

 would tend to guarantee a pure culture of splake with little possibility of diluting 

 the fixed desirable characters by cross breeding with lake trout in the lake. Further 

 delays in progress will be very costly. 



In the course of this research and incidental to it, we expect to learn whether 

 or not the genetics of fishes operate in patterns similar to those already known 

 in livestock and horticulture. If this proves to be the case, then there is no real 

 reason why additional selective breeding research could not be designed to meet 

 many of the problems of fisheries management just as it has in other disciplines. 

 Disease and parasite resistant strains, faster growing strains, earlier or later 

 spawning strains of many species might well contribute to better and more stable 

 populations of fish. 



Parasitology 



The influence of parasites and of diseases on fish populations is not at all well 

 known, but it is suspected of being an important factor in determining population 

 size. In individual cases it is a certainty that parasites may kill fish, and, in the 

 case of the bass tapeworm, they seriously impair reproduction. The parasite 

 (triaenophorus) which occurs in whitefish seriously impairs the marketability 

 of this species in Ontario. 



A survey of the fish parasites of fishes of Ontario is being undertaken in 

 order to better assess which parasites may be most important and deserving 

 of attempts at control. 



Headquarters 



The technical staff' at Headquarters was reduced during 1961 but continued 

 to provide services in fish age determination to field offices, and provided training 

 for several field management personnel. 



In addition to the co-ordination of efforts between research units within the 

 Section, the supervisory staff was active in co-ordination of our research work 

 with that of other agencies within and outside of the Province. 



Reports 



Fisheries research reports are listed in appendix on page 279. 



WILDLIFE RESEARCH 



Two vacancies on the staff of the Wildlife Section were filled so that research 

 was started on woodland caribou and moose and on several important species 

 of upland game and waterfowl. 



The Wildlife Research Station in Algonquin Park continued to be the 

 centre for basic research on fur-bearers, big game, predators and some wildlife 

 diseases and parasites. The application and testing of research results in co- 

 operation with field staff of the Department was conducted in most Forest Districts 

 in the province. Co-operative arrangements with the Universities of Toronto and 

 Western Ontario, the Ontario Agricultural and Veterinary Colleges, and the 

 Ontario Research Foundation on several wildlife research projects were continued. 

 Also, under an agreement with the Indian Affairs Branch of the Department of 

 Citizenship and Immigration, research was conducted on fur-bearing animals, 



265 



