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THE FISHERIES OF ONTARIO. 
In the preceding section the natural history of the species of fish which are 
important from an economical point of view has been treated at considerable 
length. We must now proceed to consider their absolute and relative economic 
importance, their relative frequency in different parts of the Province, the nature 
and value of the apparatus employed in the fisheries, and the number of men who 
find occupation in connection therewith. 
In discussing the subject it is necessary to remember that so far it is only 
the Great Lakes which have become of great economical importance, and that the 
possibilities as important sources of a cheap food supply of the inland waters of 
the Province have not yet attracted public attention. 
The following Tables extracted from the last Dominion Fishery Report give 
_ valuable information on the points in question. 
It appears from Table I. that of 3,045 men employed in the Fisheries of the 
Province about one-tifth are from Lake Ontario. Lake Erie comes next with 526, 
Georgian Bay with 436, Lake Huron with 427, Manitoulin division with 587 
and Lake Superior with 119. 
It also appears that the Georgian Bay heads the list with regard to the 
number of fathoms of gill-nets in use, Lake and River St. Clair by the seines in 
use, and the lower part of Lake Ontario by the smaller hoop-nets, while Lake 
Erie is distinguished by its number of pound-nets. 
Table II. informs us of the relative value of the fisheries, the Georgian Bay 
being at the head of the list with $530,498, out of a total $2,009,637, bake Erie 
next, followed by the Manitoulin division, Lake Huron, Lake Superior and Lake 
Ontario. We also learn from it that the Georgian Bay stands at the head of the 
list in both Whitefish and Lake Trout fisheries, that Lake Erie on the other hand 
comes first in the Herring, Sturgeon, Bass, Pickerel and coarse-fish fisheries, that 
Lake Seugog is the headquarters of the Maskinongé fishery, that the ereater pro- 
portion of Pike come from the River St. Lawrence, and of Eels from: Wellinoton 
county, including the Credit River. : 
From Table III. we learn that the following is the relative economie value 
of the various species of food-fishes, not classified as-miscellaneous or coarse fish : 
1. Whitefish. 
2. Lake Trout. 
3. Lake Herring. 
4, Pickerel. 
5, Sturgeon. 
6. Bass. 
7. Maskinongé. 
8. Pike. 
9. Eels. 
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