1902 DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 45 



In conclusion let me observe, no country can claim and no province can 

 appropriate to itself a greater acquisition than the fresh water fisheries of 

 Ontario. Nature has 'with lavish hand" bestrewn our territory beyond com- 

 pare. Its wealth yet unseen will undoubtedly be illimitable. It takes a gen- 

 eration for our forests to recuperate but only a triplicate of years for our fish 

 to grow. Government would be recreant to its trust did it not bend its energies 

 to save harmless and develop such great resources so near the people." 



District Overseer Lamarsh, Wheatley, reports that he " visited the different 

 waters and fisheries comprising his district during the month of August, and 

 some of the localities in November. I found that the Lake Erie fisheries were 

 proving very disappointing to fishermen. The herring catch from Detroit 

 River to Port Burwell for 1902 will not total up more than one-third that of 

 1901, and the catch of many other kinds was proportionately as light. 

 The spring fishing on Lake St. Clair, River Thames and Mitchell Bay was 

 light, Some of the fishermen in those waters report better catches during the 

 fall. The fishing industry in this district has experienced one of the poorest 

 years ever known ; while some individual fishermen have done well, and some 

 localities better than others, yet the statement made above will apply generally. 

 Some two or three complaints of crowding were made by some of the Kent 

 fishermen, with, as near as 1 could judge, good ground for complaint. On my 

 visit to Detroit River and Lake St. Clair I found that there is poaching by 

 Americans going on in those waters during fishing seasons, and that to make the 

 proper inspection and protection of those waters it would be necessary to be 

 able to procure a li^ht gasoline or steam launch at times to run over these 

 waters when needful. I went to Ridgetown and different points in Kent to in- 

 vestigate reports of taking whitefish during November. I examined shipments 

 of fish, going through them thoroughly, but found nothing wrong. I visited all 

 along the shore in Essex in November, but found no whitefish either being 

 shipped or in fishermen's boats. I secured conviction of a couple of parties for 

 gill netting without licenses, one at Kingsville, the other at Leamington. I was 

 at Leamington wharf shortly after. About two ton of herring that had been 

 caught with gill nets were landed on the wharf about the 24th November. I 

 wish to make the above observation that I could have skated on the herring 

 spawn which covered the wharf where the fish had been landed and handled. I 

 found, from conversation with the fisherman, that Overseers Allan, Stephen, 

 and Wonnacott were very active in looking after their divisions I am of the 

 opinion that the overseers for Elgin and Kent have a very large amount of work 

 for the remuneration received, as each has a very long coast line with a large 

 number of nets in each division to look after. 



District Overseer, McCargar, Belleville, reports a decrease in the catch in 

 the Bay of Quinte and Weller's Bay, caused by the Government prohibiting 

 netting of any kind on these waters during the months of July, August and the 

 first half of September. The fishermen who had nets in did well when they 

 were willing to work. The law prohibiting the sale of black bass and maski- 

 nonge had the effect of greatly diminishing the catch of these game fish. 

 The anglers this season had better fishing than any season for a long time. 

 There was a lot of black bass put in the bay from the Quinte bass pond, 

 and there should be a great many more put in, as the Bay of Quinte has many 

 advantages over large lakes for anglers, on account of the coves and bends in 

 the bay, where they can get out of the wind and fish any day. I trust the 

 Government in their wisdom will leave the law as it now is re. black bass 

 and maskinonge. It will only be a short time until we have as good fishing 

 as we ever had in the Bay of Quinte. 



