THE REPOET UPON No. 14 



Toronto^ February 14, 1918. 

 D. McDonald, Esq., 



Acting Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries, Toronto, Out. 



Sm, — I herewith hand you my annual report for 1917. During the year I 

 visited nearly all parts of the Province and found the fish and game laws were very 

 well observed. From all parts of the Province reports received show that the 

 number of tourists visiting the various fishing grounds showed a falling off com- 

 pared with former years. This is caused, no doubt, by the war and general de- 

 pression. It is certainly not due to any shortage of game fish as they have never 

 been so numerous. Commercial fishing in all waters of the Province was better 

 last year than ever before. This is, no doubt, due to the success of the different 

 hatcheries in re-stocking the different lakes. 



Deer are reported as being plentiful, also muskrats. Licensing trappers is 

 proving a success. In my opinion marten and fisher should be protected : owing to 

 the high price of their fur there is a danger of their being exterminated with no 

 closed season to protect them. Ducks are reported much more numerous. Pro- 

 hibiting their sale and limiting the number that each one can shoot is having a 

 marked effect on their increase. In some parts of the Province the open season for 

 ducks is asked to be September 15th. 



The patrol boats which were in commission last year performed^ good service. 



Your obedient servant, 



Alf. Hunter. 



Inspector. 



Toronto, December 19th, 1917. 

 D. McDonald, Esq., 



Acting Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries, Toronto, Ont. 



Sir, — I beg to submit my report for the season of 1917. 



The fishing in the vicinity of Toronto does not improve any bii ■ - V •*» • ' 

 the same from year to year. Owing to the smallness of their catche i '!'..ber 



of years past the fishermen seem to have lost heart, and if they only h. fishing 



to depend on for a living they would all starve. 



The trunk sewer has stopped the pollution and the water in the lake is fairly 

 pure, and all that is required to bring the fishing back to what it formerly was is 

 -a liberal and systematic restocking with whitefish and salmon trout fry. 



Unfavorable weather conditions during the months of May and June interfered 

 somewhat with the bass ponds and brook trout hatchery at Mt. Pleasant, but taking 

 the output altogether it should be considered very satisfactory. 



To properly look after the restocking of inland waters this Department should 

 have more bass ponds, and to complete the brook trout hatchery a range of nursery 

 ponds are required. It is a great mistake to restock any inland water with any 

 species of game fish in the fry stage. 



The Department should establish a maskinonge hatchery in the vicinity of the 

 Kawartha Lakes. The cost would be very small in comparison to the benefits that 



