tMiàio^Ucal Êac^f^KUutd 



Research on fish biology in Québec dates 

 back only fifty years or so. In fact, it can be 

 said that practically nothing had been done in 

 this field until the turn of the century. At the 

 most, we can recall the works of a few 

 naturalists who rendered accounts of their 

 Personal and isolatad observations rather than 

 of research carried out according to a pre- 

 established plan. The first scieutific surveys 

 based on an organized program were made in 

 the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence by 

 scientists attached to the Biological Board of 

 Canada: their work was done in a mobile 

 laboratory which was mounted on a barge and 

 towed to différent spots in the Gulf as the work 

 required. This mobile lab was replaced in 1908 

 by a permanent station established at St. 

 Andrews, N.B. 



Nearly a quarter of a century later, in 

 1931 to be précise, the first biological station 

 of Québec was established by Laval University 

 at Trois-Pistoles. A group of biologists and 

 other scientists collaborated in the exécution 

 of a comprehensive research program in the 

 estuary of the St. Lawrence. The orientation 

 of this survey to our fisheries resulted in the 

 displacement of activities toward the Gulf 

 région. Transferred to Grande-Rivière in 1939, 

 the biological station was placed under provin- 

 cial administration in 1952. Its prograrn is as 

 follows: fundamental research in marine biology; 

 expérimental fishing; survey and inventory of 

 fishing grounds; and, lastly, the long-term 

 observation of economically important species 

 of fish. 



The emphasis placed on commercial fish- 

 eries, however, has not minimized the importance 

 attached to the linnological fauna. A biological 

 inventory of the Laurentides Park, with parti- 

 cular attention to Speckled Trout, was begun 

 in 1938 by the Biological Institute of the 

 University of Montréal. In 1941, the Institute 

 was asked by the Provincial Government to 

 Tindertake a hydrological survey of the Montréal 

 région : this work was the first stage of a 

 Provincial program which was later to include 

 the entire St. Lawrence basin and its tributaries. 

 Of thèse gênerai surveys, lot us mention parti- 

 cularly the studies of the Atlantic Salmon and 

 of the Béluga. 



The Biological Bureau, founded in 1943 

 by The Ministcr of Fish & Game was to continue 

 work previously undertaken at the University 

 of Montréal. Duc to the wide extent of the 

 territory to be studied, it became necessary 

 to divide the work. In the same year, the 

 Biological Laboratory of Québec was established 

 to continue research in the portion of the 

 Province to the east of Lake St. Peter. At- 



tention has been mainly directed to the study 

 of speckled trout and of the commercially 

 important species. 



Elsewhere, the Department of Fisheries 

 established two new stations in 1950: one at 

 the Magdalen Islands, the other on the Nortli 

 Shore. Research at the Grindstone laboratory 

 has borne principally on the lobster, its gro^vth, 

 migrations, ecology and fishing efîiciency; ail 

 this to direct législation for the more adéquate 

 protection and yet, more efficient exploitation 

 of this fisheries. Mention must also be made 

 of the studies on parasites of the lobster, fish 

 and marine mammals, on herring disease, and 

 finally, expérimental fishing. 



The priraary aim of the station at La 

 Tabatière, has been to seek ways of modernizing 

 the fishing fleet to allow a more rational exploi- 

 tation of commercial species. A boat equipped 

 with the most up-to-date navigation and fishing 

 instruments is used for the main purpose of: 

 hydrographie survey, détermination of the 

 influence of température on fisheries, the 

 localization of schools of fish by ultra-sonic 

 eeho-sounding and searching and tests on the 

 selectivity of fishing gear. 



The necessity of ensuring liaison between 

 the biologists whose activities are spread ail 

 over the Province, and to eo-ordinate their 

 research, brought about the idea of the Biological 

 Centre. Along with scientific research, the 

 éducation of the public to provide better know- 

 Icdge of the aquatic fauna contributes to the 

 conservation of this natural resource. With 

 this in mind, the authorities of the Department 

 of Fisheries saw the advantage of combining 

 under one roof, the research laboratories and 

 a public aquarium. Construction was begun in 

 1954. The laboratory wing was finished in 

 January 1956, while the Aquarium was opened 

 to the public in June 1959. 



The Biological Centre is, therefore, one 

 of the logical results of research undertaken in 

 Québec as a contribution to science and to the 

 improvement of fisheries. But, far frora being 

 an end in itself, it opens up new perspectives 

 in a domain rich in promises and possibilities. 

 It renders possible the application of a still 

 wider and more efficient research program: 

 the study of environmental problems, _ of 

 rarasitos and disease, of population dynamics, 

 research on means of control, improvement and 

 .'onscrvation, briofly, a fuU ensemble of work 

 orientated toward the end proposed by the 

 authorities of the Ministry of Fish and Game: 

 the safeguarding of one of our most precious 

 natural resources and its utilization for the 

 bsnefit of the population of our province. 



