64 KEPOET OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



being unwilling to enter into any such arrangement, the most obvious 

 means of achieving the desired end would appear to lie in the limitation 

 of the licenses issued, so that the total catch from these waters could not 

 be in excess of the actual present requirements of the surrounding ter- 

 ritory, and in endorsing such licenses as were issued with a provision to 

 the effect that the catch was to be disposed of for local consumption 

 only, or to the nearest branch Provincial fish agency, leaving it to the 

 superintendent of this latter institution to develop the fish markets in 

 the Kenora and Eainy River districts. 



In regard to the fact that the majority of the Canadian licenses 

 issued for commercial fishing in Lake of the Woods are under the con- 

 trol of one company, it is to be noted that in view of the location of the 

 waters the present development of the surrounding territory and the 

 fact that it is a Canadian company, presumably catering to Canadian 

 people, so long as tlie fisheries are conducted on their present scale this 

 is probably the best method of operating these fisheries, in spite of the 

 fact that it might be held to constitute a monopoly, for it concentrates 

 under one Canadian control the disposal of the fish when caught and 

 thus should simplify the enterprise of creating and developing a good 

 local market throughout the surrounding territory, and, where neces- 

 sary, the problem of bulk shipments. It would seem, however, that the 

 Government might reasonably expect a somewhat higher revenue from 

 these fisheries than that at present derived from the sale of licenses at 

 fixed prices, as also that the introduction of a certain amount of com- 

 petition might result in placing those who engage in the actual business 

 of fishing in an independent, instead of practically a subordinate, posi- 

 tion without materially affecting the position of the Armstrong Trading 

 Compan}^ Consequently it might be advantageous to place at least the 

 pound nets up to public tender, the district for which the license was 

 issued being specifically stated on the same. Should a branch Provin- 

 cial fish agency be established at Port Arthur or Fort William it is 

 plain that the competition thus created would at once become effective, 

 although without such an institution it would, in all probability, remain 

 nominal. As the surrounding country becomes populated, however, and 

 the local fish markets develop, the value of these licenses should increase 

 considerably, so that by the adoption of such a measure the Government 

 would be placing itself in a position to take a proper advantage of such 

 increase as it occurred. 



In connection with the commercial fisheries of Lake of the Woods 

 a problem has developed which has given rise to considerable local argu- 

 ment and discussion. Formerly there existed in these waters consider- 

 able quantities of pickerel and mascalonge, both of which fish are 

 acknowledged to afford good sport to the rod angler and consequently to 

 constitute a material attraction to visitors and sportsmen. The prose- 

 cution of commercial fishing on a considerable scale has had, however, 

 the result already noted in the section on the lesser lakes of the Province, 



