Interest ol' the fishery. 



In Lake Erie conversion to trap nets from pound nets was contlnuea 

 ema there was an increase from ten to fifteen In the maximum number of trap 

 nets which were permitted unaer one licence. 



in iyi?4 tne Department announced a reduction of fees for the pound 

 net and trap net fisneiry m Ontario, in Lake Krie the licence fee per net 

 was reduced from ;j>40.00 to $30,00 and the remainder of the Province from $50.00 

 to $40.00 per net. The adjustment In fees came as a relief to the fishermen 

 who were faced by rising costs of materials and labour and by lower values 

 per pound for their fish. 



In Lake Erie, record catches of perch (7,248,6^1 pounds) and white bass 

 (6,152,850 pounds) over-supplied the market and resulted In reduced returns to 

 the fisherman for his efforts. 



A reduction of two-thirds In whlteflsh catch caused considerable 

 hardship for those fishermen located In areas where whlteflsh Is the main or 

 only fish usually available In quantity. Continuing high production of blue 

 and yellow pickerel raised the total Lake Erie catch to 28,912,056 pounds, and 

 offset the unfavourable effect of the lower prices received for the perch and 

 white bass. 



Whlteflsh production In the Georgian Bay dropped from the 1953 level 

 of six million pounds to 3,692,025 pounds, and marked the end of the phenomlnal 

 Increase In production which Is believed to have been based largely upon a 

 single year class of the fish. 



Yellow pickerel landings were up considerably. In Lake Erie 28^ to 

 2,925*004 pounds and in Lake Ontario 52$^ to 113,604 pounds. Lake Trout taken 

 In the Province dropped to 1,561,922 pounds with Lake Superior production down 

 Q% to 1,266,237 pounds and northern Inland waters down to 120,093 pounds £uid 

 Georgian Bay catch decreased fifty percent to 153*900 pounds. 



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