Poachers, Polluters and Politics #14: The Lasting Legacies of Commissions, Inquiries and Internal Politics

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.

 That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.

 Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.

 In this instalment, our final conversation in this podcast series, Randy talks about different judicial commissions and inquiries he took part in during the late stage of his career, quasi-judicial hearings sparked by public concern about the state of B.C. salmon stocks. 

 As well, Randy talks about his work to improve relationships with First Nations communities, and steps he took to try to improve morale and in DFO. Lastly, Randy gives us a hint about his next writing project, a comprehensive book about poachers and poaching across North America …

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 For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest. 

 Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…

 If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at [email protected].