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Forget trekking to Georgian Bay, those who monitor Toronto’s fish stocks say you’re better off taking the subway to Union Station and throwing a line into the harbour.

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Urban fishing in the GTA is at its best since the industrial revolution, claims Brian Graham, a monitoring technician with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

“People don’t realize there’s a ton of fish on their doorstep and it’s incredibly healthy. It’s kind of Toronto’s secret.”

He bases his assessments on a process called electrofishing.

It may sound hazardous, but he describes it as the most humane method for checking fish stocks, one that has been used since the 1980s.

“It’s very, very safe, efficient and effective.”

The process uses 250 volts of electricity to stun the fish temporarily. Prods placed in the water deliver a mild current; the stunned fish float to the surface and are scooped up in nets. They are identified, measured, tagged and counted; then released back into the lake.

Mr. Graham said he’s seeing diverse species in abundance.

“Northern pike are a prize fish and a top predator. To have one you have to have thousands of fish for them to feed on. There are tons of them right now,” he said. American eels, which haven’t been seen in the lake for quite a while, are being spotted too.