58 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



lake a rest from commercial fishing for a period of years in order to per- 

 mit of it restocking itself by natural means, as it would inevitably do if 

 given the chance in sufficient time. That such a procedure would be the 

 most economic method of handling these fisheries is evident, as it would 

 eliminate all possibility of the lakes being depleted, and, at the same time, 

 would avoid the expense of ultimately having to stock these waters by 

 artificial means, a demand for which, in the case of those lakes which 

 have already unfortunately been depleted, is certain eventually to arise. 



Owing to the natural tendency of a licensee to derive the greatest 

 possible benefit from the possession of his license, it is plain that the 

 great majority of the licenKees, if licenses were, on application, renewed 

 to them yearly without question, could not be depended on to exercise 

 impartial judgment in deciding when a rest from commercial fishing had 

 become necessary and, consequently, the matter would have to be con- 

 trolled and managed by the Government in order to attain the desired 

 results, but it Ik interesting to note that in the western portion of the 

 Province there is one inland lake fishery which has been conducted on 

 these principles for many years by its regular licensees, with the result 

 that in the years in which fishing is conducted the catch is good both in 

 quantity and quality. ^ 



To ensure accuracy in returns from the licensees of inland lake 

 fisheries, the inspection of their fisheries and shipments would have to 

 be effective and efficient and it is, consequently, apparent that in those 

 localities where adequate inspection cannot economically be provided at 

 present, it would be advisable not to issue license's for commercial 

 fishing. 



In all cases where commercial net licenses are issued for the in- 

 land lakes, the greatest care should also be taken to see that the licensees 

 do not exceed the quantity or lengths of net called for on their license, 

 and a study should be made of each individual case to determine what 

 amount of net should be fixed by the Government, for especially in the 

 case of the smaller bodies of water so much harm could be effected by 

 excessive fishing in the short space of even one season that the fishing 

 might remain hopelessly depleted for many seasons thereafter. 



As a general rule it would seem inadvisable to issue any commer- 

 cial net licenses whatsoever where there is not a clear water area of at 

 least ten miles square, for the normal production of lesser areas must 

 be too small to permit of profitable commercial fishing operations, ex- 

 cept at the expense of the future supply of fish. It would seem also that 

 in waters of even greater area than ten miles square, where sporting fish, 

 such as the black bass, the mascalonge and trout, are to be found, it 

 would be far better to issue no commercial licenses at all, for the value 

 of the traffic attracted by the sporting fishes will ultimately, if it does 

 not actually at present, far exceed the small profits to be made out of 

 the commercial fishing of such waters, and it must, therefore, be the part 

 of wisdom to safeguard the peri)etuation of these sporting fishes. The 



