THIRTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



Game and Fisheries Department of Ontario 



TO: THE HONOURABLE H. C. NIXON: 

 Minister in charge. 

 Department oi Game and Fisheries. 



SIR: — 



I have the honour to submit to you in this and the following pages the Thirty- 

 second Annual Report of the Department of Game and Fisheries, outlining the 

 activities of Departmental services and including various statistical and comparative 

 tables for the fiscal year ended March Slst, 1939. 



INTRODUCTORY 



The wild life of Ontario is a public legacy which for purposes of administration 

 has been entrusted to the Department of Game and Fisheries. It has a value which 

 outranks its material worth, because, besides being an integral part of our economic 

 system, it is of tremendous importance from a recreational standpoint. 



It is well to remember that the problem of administration is complicated by 

 the destructive effects of modern civilization. Nature populated our forests with game 

 and fur-bearing animals, our fields, woods and marshes with game and insectivorous 

 birds and our waters with a variety and abundance of fishes not excelled elsewhere. 

 In the scheme of nature a proper balance as to numbers was maintained through 

 natural instinct. In addition, provision appears to have been made for checking 

 over-abundance by means of disease which periodically attacks such species as 

 rabbits, grouse, etc. This provision of nature for setting up a proper balance has 

 been completely upset through a variety of causes. These are mostly the result of 

 the encroachment of civilization and the economic development which is an essential 

 part of human existence. These are some of the conditions which complicate the 

 problem of conserving wild life and have upset the balance set up by nature. 



While it is part of the conservation programme to restore as far as possible 

 natural environmental conditions, it will be obvious that much of the difficulty 

 Is of a permanent nature incidental to our economic development. If these important 

 facts are kept in mind the necessity for an intensive programme of conservation 

 will be obvious and the need for adapting the work of rehabilitation to meet 

 existing conditions apparent. 



Summing up we find that we have in our wild life resources an asset of 

 tremendous importance. It is a resource which, if used wisely, will keep on 

 renewing itself from year to year. The conservation programme of the Department 

 of Game and Fisheries is intended to stimulate this reproduction through protection, 

 and to assist nature through artificial propagation. To be successful, such a programme 

 requires the co-operation of every citizen. This assistance is best rendered by 

 personal observance of the regulations and by discouraging illegal practices in others. 



The general situation throughout the Province with regard to game and 

 fish is reasonably satisfactory. During the open season deer were reported to be 

 more numerous in many sections than they had been for many years. It is altogether 



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