Offences other than those involving licences include: 



Table 21 

 Fishing: 



1. Angling with more than two lines 165 



2. Possession of overlimit of fish 156 



3. Taking fish by means other than angling 96 



4. Taking fish during closed season 90 



5. Possession of fish during closed season 58 



6. Possession of spear 48 

 Hunting: 



1. Possession of loaded firearm in vehicle 388 



2. Hunting in prohibited hours and jacklighting 270 



3. Possession of loaded firearm in motor boat 145 



4. Hunting in closed season 79 



5. Possession of game in closed season 36 



6. Hunting protected birds 33 



Assistance in the law enforcement program is provided by 

 biologists, foresters, chief and deputy chief forest rangers 

 and technicians who hold appointments as special conserva- 

 tion officers. There are also some 1,100 deputy conservation 

 officers offering volunteer service in law enforcement. The 

 Ontario Provincial Police work with our conservation officers 

 and provide special assistance during the spring spawning 

 of rainbow trout and walleyes. These co-operative efforts 

 resulted in convictions both under The Ontario Fishery 

 Regulations and The Liquor Control Act. The Royal Canadian 

 Mounted Police provided increased assistance with enforce- 

 ment of the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the 

 Regulations. 



Items required for evidence used in violations of The 

 Game and Fish Act, The Ontario Fishery Regulations and the 

 Migratory Bird Regulations are seized by the conservation 

 officer at the time the accused is apprehended. Upon con- 

 viction, this equipment becomes the property of the Crown. 

 The Minister may grant relief from forfeiture upon such 

 terms as he deems just, and a majority of such items are 

 restored to their former owners. This does not apply to items 

 the possession of which may be illegal. 

 Articles which become the property of the Crown are sold at 

 public auction. A total of $11,234.80 was realized from such 

 sales. 



HUNTING LICENCE EXAMINATIONS 



Regulations were passed providing for conservation officers 

 to become examiners of new applicants for a hunting 

 licence under a uniform and standard set of examinations 

 designated to reduce hunting accidents in the Province. 

 The Hunter Safety Training Program, formerly a responsi- 

 bility of the Fish and Wildlife Branch, was transferred to the 

 Operations Branch. 



Conservation officers who were formerly hunter safety train- 

 ing instructors were relieved of this responsibility in view 

 of their new role as examiners. Hunters may now select 

 training from any source they choose. No examinations were 

 provided during the year under review. It is not expected 

 that the 20,000 new hunters recorded each year in Ontario 

 will enter the program completely until 1968, when the 

 examination becomes mandatory for all hunters seeking a 

 licence for the first time. 



FISHERIES SECTION 



Fisheries section is responsible for the application of the 

 principles of full, multiple and public use on a sustained 

 yield basis to the fishery resources of the Province. The 

 application of these principles involves an understanding 

 of the resources and the organization of programs for its 

 optimum harvest. 



Progress in reaching the objectives of fisheries management 

 was marked primarily by minor additions to staff and some 

 reorganization, as well as redirection of emphasis of various 

 programs. Perhaps most significant was the addition of a 

 new Unit in the Fisheries Section to coordinate the lake 

 survey program across the Province — an important part of 

 the field program of the Districts but which has been unable 

 to keep up to the necessary demand in recent years. The 

 Unit now consists of a senior biologist, a fisheries manage- 

 ment technician and a clerk. 



At the same time, the Commercial Fisheries Unit, through 

 adjustments in staff functions, was able to add a biologist 

 to initiate a program for the development of quota manage- 

 ment and more extensive fish sampling by the field staff. 

 The policy of initiating programs directed at assisting the 

 industry in exploring methods of catching fish, transporta- 

 tion of quality products, and processing was established in 

 principle. 



The addition of a Fisheries Management Unit to concentrate 

 on fisheries problems on Lakes Temagami and Nipissing 

 established a fifth such "intensive-study team" in a key 

 fishery water. At the same time, the importance of District 

 fisheries management officers was recognized, and two addi- 

 tional positions were created bringing the total number to 

 thirteen. 



The Fish Culturist training program previously directed to 

 hatchery technicians was re-established and expanded to 

 include additional fisheries management training. In addi- 

 tion to hatchery technicians, biologists, fishery management 

 officers and conservation officers were offered the course to 

 improve their technical background in fish culture and field 

 management. 



The program of modernizing and renovating the provincial 

 hatchery system was marked by the beginning of recon- 

 struction of the North Bay trout rearing station. 



Game Fish and Hatcheries 



This Unit is responsible for the planning and coordination 

 of programs to develop and maintain the sports fishery in- 

 cluding: production of hatchery fish stocks; control and 

 distribution of stocks; stimulation of private hatchery and 

 fish pond development; modernization of the hatchery sys- 

 tem; application of new fish cultural techniques; assessment 

 of utilization by angling, including the effectiveness of plant- 

 ing; establishing angling seasons; habitat improvement 

 including lake reclamation and stream improvement; co- 

 ordinating studies of fisheries problems and assessing 

 results; acquisition and development Of public fishing areas; 

 providing information and promoting the sports fishery. 

 FISHERIES MANAGEMENT UNITS 



(a) Kawartha Lakes: In May 1966, the Kawartha Lakes Man- 

 agement Unit started a three year trap-netting project in 

 Rice Lake. The purpose of this study is to estimate the 

 number of fish in the lake and determine growth rates, 

 mortality and environmental factors affecting the fish popu- 

 lation. The ultimate objective is to manage the fish popu- 

 lations and environment to provide the best possible return 

 to the angler. 



Also, in 1%6, walleye were transferred from the Talbot River 

 to augment the walleye in Canal Lake which are subject to 

 potential winter kill each year as a result of a drawdown 

 of the water levels. 



