1.915 GAME AND FISHERIES. 11 



Toronto, November, 1914. 

 A. SiiEKiFF^ Esq., 



Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries. 



•Sir, — I have the honour to submit my report for the season of 1914. 



The commercial fishermen have not had as successful a season as usual. They 

 report that during the spring months and early summer the fishing was better than 

 for several years, but that later, and especially during October, the catch was very 

 poor. The very stormy weather during October and the late spawning of the lake 

 trout will account for most of the shortage. 



Although it hardly comes within my province, I wish to call your attention 

 to a situation that must be very unsatisfactory to the parties interested, and which 

 appears to be more difficult each year. This is the spawn gathering for the different 

 hatcheries operating in the Pro\dnce. I refer more particularly to lake trout. Ap- 

 parently our seasons have changed, the cold weather coming on later, and as the 

 spawning season is regulated by the temperature of the water, it has been very 

 difficult to secure enough spawn before the 1st of November, when the fishing 

 season closes. There are two or three ways by which this condition may be im- 

 proved : 1st, lengthen the open season ; 2nd, abolish the close season altogether ; 3rd, 

 the authorities in charge of the hatcheries might operate nets for the special pur- 

 pose of procuring spawn. The latter, 1 am afraid, would be a cumbersome, ex- 

 pensive, and not very satisfactory method of doing the work, as it would necessitate 

 the establishment of fishing outfits at several points, and these could only be used 

 for a few weeks each year. 



Two new hatcheries were built during the year and are operating this winter 

 for the first time, one at Belleville, the other on the Lake of the Woods. With a 

 few more of them it might be possible to abolish the close season without injury to 

 the fisheries. 



In connection with this I would recommend that it be made a condition on all 

 licenses that the licensee must help in all ways possible any person employed by 

 the authorities in charge of the hatcheries in gathering spawn of any kind. I have 

 heard of a few eases where fishermen have asked to he paid for allowing spawn to 

 be taken from fish caught hy them. While I do not think we have many men who 

 depend on fishing who are as sbort-sighted as this, it should he made impossible 

 for anyone to do so. 



Another matter that is deserving the attention of the Department are the 

 Georgian Bay fisheries. It has been known for some time that these waters were 

 being over-fished and that not enough re-stocking was being done. So fully has 

 this 'been realized that I believe that your Department has for some time refused 

 tc grant any new licenses. This, no doubt, is the proper thing to do, but I am afraid 

 that it will take many years to replenish the bay unless something more is done. 

 As you know, this bay is the one part of our great lakes system over which the 

 Dominion and Province have complete control, and whatever is done for the benefit 

 of Greorgian Bay is done for our own people. And here I might say that the country 

 surrounding this bay, or a great part of it, is not suitable for farming, and conse- 

 quently a great many of the settlers depend largely on fishing and trapping for a 

 living, and they will depend on these more and more as the lumbering industry moves 

 further back. These being the conditions, I am loath to recommend the cutting 

 off of any fishing privileges now enjoyed by the fishermen, as depriving them of 

 their present occupation simply means that they would have to leave that part of 

 the country. 



