1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 29 



Gill Nets, Lake Supebiok and Lake Hurox, North Channel and Geobglan Bay. 



Sail or Rowboats with not more than 6,000 yards of net $10 00 



Gasoline Launches with not more than 12,000 yards of net 25 00 



Tugs with not more than 30,000 yards of net 75 00 



Tugs with not more than 60,000 yards of net 150 00 



Lake Erie. 



Sail or Rowboats with not more than 2,000 yards of net $25 00 



Gasoline Launches with not more than 4,000 yards of net 75 00 



Tugs with not more than 10,000 yards of net 250 00 



Lake Ontario. 



Sail or Rowboats with not more than 4,000 yards of net $10 00 



Gasoline Launches with not more than 6,000 yards of net 25 00 



Tugs with not more than 10,000 yards of net 50 00 



Bay of Qxtinte. 



Between the Bridge at Belleville and the Village of Prinyer. 



Sail or Rowboats with not more than 2,000 yards of net $25 00 



The revenue derived from these licenses has been approximately as 

 follows : 



1908 $46,000 



1909 56,000 



What exact proportion of the expenditure of the Department of 

 Game and Fisheries is solely debitable to the commercial fisheries it is 

 impossible to determine, for a great many of its officials are largely con- 

 cerned in the carrying out of other duties, such as the protection of the 

 sporting fish, the collection of the non-resident anglers' tax and the pro- 

 tection of the game, while the same condition applies equally to the uses 

 to which much of its equipment is put. It is plain, however, that if the 

 expenditures on fish hatchery operations, which have been shown in pre- 

 viou.s sections of this report to be practically unavoidable if the fisheries 

 are to be maintained, have to be undertaken, the Province cannot afford 

 to do otherwise than collect as great a revenue from the commercial 

 fisheries as they can reasonably bear, in order to meet, in part at least, 

 this added charge. 



Under tlie ])resent system it is extremely doubtful whether the best 

 results from the point of view of revenue are being obtained. 



It is a matter of common knowledge that the Ontario fisheries of 

 the great lakes are largely under th(» domination of a foreign corpora- 

 tion, and that, in consequence, the great bulk of the fisli secured 

 from these waters find their way to the American markets. It is perhaps 

 not so well realized that the Government of the United States imposes 

 a duty of i/j cent per pound on imported fish, and is, therefore, collect- 

 ing yearly a very handsome revenue from the Canadian fisheries, whereas 

 the Ontario Government, which has to bear the cost of protecting the 

 fisheries, if not actually losing money on the transaction, is at least gain- 

 ing no appreciable revenue therefrom, and at the same time in allowing 



