FISHERIES OF LAKE ONTARIO. 
205 
man, but the question has arisen whether the unrestricted increase of piscivorous fishes 
has not influenced the abundance and movements of the weaker species. Thus, the 
protection of game fishes may be the cause of the present scarcity of whitefish on our 
shores. The writer does not advance this opinion as being entertained by him, but as 
the view of a certain class of people interested in the lake fisheries; the theory is to 
be accepted or discai'ded in the light of facts to be disclosed by additional inquiry. 
By some fishermen it is claimed that the decrease in the whitefish is more apparent * 
than real. They argue (1) that if the laws permitted greater freedom with nets fish 
would be found to occur on our shores in much larger quantities than is now supposed; 
and (2) that the serious decline in the catch of late years is due to the fact that fewer 
men are engaged and more restrictions are placed upon the capture of whitefish than 
formerly. 
The extent to which the alewife is responsible for the general scarcity of the white- 
fish can only be surmised. It has been suggested that the great multiplication of the 
alewives has led to a partial exhaustion of the food supply of the various species of 
fish whose habits are non-predatory, chief among which is the whitefish. This ques- 
tion needs careful investigation before conclusions should be drawn, and can only be 
satisfactorily settled by an examination of the contents of full series of stomachs of 
whitefish and alewives. It may be stated that the available information bearing on 
this subject rather militates against the idea that the alewives consume the same kinds 
of food upon Avhich the whitefish subsist, the former taking their food while freely 
swimming and the latter being essentially bottom -feeders. 
Less attention has been given to the artificial culture of whitefish and fewer fry 
have been deposited in Lake Ontario than in any other of the Great Lakes. The 
reasons for this are (1) the New York fish commission has not had the facilities for 
doing this work on a sufficiently large scale, and the whitefish, being an essentially 
commercial species, has not profited by the otherwise liberal appropriations of the 
legislature which have been chiefly directed toward an increase of game fish; and (2) 
the Government hatcheries have been located at points too distant to warrant the 
introduction of large quantities of fry. It would seem that the time has arrived when 
the economic importance from a fishery standpoint of this magnificent body of water 
should be recognized, and steps taken to utilize the fine natural advantages which it 
offers for increasing the food supply of the region and adding to the wealth of the 
inhabitants. 
The extent to which the fish commissions of the United States, Dominion of Can- 
ada, and State of New York have engaged in artificially stocking Lake Ontario with 
whitefish is shown in the following summary : 
Whitefish fry planted in Lake Ontario. 
Planted by— 
Xo. of fry t> . . 1 
liberated. | Perlod ' 
United States 
45, 207, 000 1882 to 1891 
Dominion of Canada 
34,350,000 1877 to 1890 
State of !New York 
6, 888, 000 1877 to 1890 
Total 
86, 445, 000 . . 
