462 



FISHERY LEGISLATION. 



The following are the chief provisions of the Dominion Fishery Laws which 



affect this Province 



CLOSE SEASONS. 



Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Sept. 15 to May 1, inclusive 



J^^kerel April 15 to May 15, " * 



Bass and Maskinong6 April 15 to June 15, " 



Whitefish Nov 1 to Nov. SO, 



Lake Irout Oct. 15 to Nov. 30 



There is no close season for Sturgeon or for Lake Herri 



mg. 



Net fishing is prohibited in public waters, except to holders of a purchasable 

 license. The size of the nets s submissible to regulation, and the nete must not 

 be set nor semes used so as to intercept channels or bays. 



Explosives and poisons for killing fish are illegal, mill-dams must have 

 passes, and mill-refuse must be destroyed. 



fo.f ■^^ '"/^^'"'l^i!^ S""^ i°'l"'''^ '^''"^^ ^^ ™^^^ ^^ ^0 tl^e adequacy of the pro- 

 tection aflForded by the close seasons at present presci-ibed. It is possible tharfn 

 certain waters an extension is required. In Lake Megantic ea it is renorfpH 

 that the Lake Trout have finished spawning by the 4 of 'ot?ob r whT Mr 

 John H. Willmott, of Beaumaris, Ontario, Fishery Overseer for the Muskoka 

 District, reports m 1890 their spawning season as from October 8th to 20th for 

 this region.. Again in the North-west it is reported that the Whitefish SDawn 

 earher than is the case in the Georgian Bay,'so that if the close seas mwrre 

 assimilated to that of Lake Trout, the change would have more to recommend 

 It than the mere simplification of the law and its efficient carrying-out Ttl^ 



^mh l?N "^ ^l^' *^':r. '^ ^^^^^^^^ "^^y ^^^"^ ^ithi^ «»^- wate'rs after the 

 30th of November, so that an extension in the other direction might also b^ 

 considered.* Such diflferences indicate that further information is required as Z 

 the spawning habits of our food-fish from all parts of the Province so that 

 future legislation may provide for the protection of waters lying at a distance 

 from the present commercial centres. j o ao a uibo^nce 



Although the absence of a close season for Lake Herring does not appear to 

 have «o far affected the results of the Fisheries in Lake Ont^ario, complaTts are 

 being made tha the Lake is being depleted of the more valued Cisco (p. 447) and 

 that consequently some measure should be taken to protect this variety A close 

 season durmg July and August has been suggested. 



of th*e dosts^a^on.'^^' been observed to spawn in Central Ontario three ^^^^^T^^^r than the beginning 



