June 2, 2014 — If fish could sing, they'd surely croon many a good tune for retired fishery officer Randy Nelson.
Nelson accrued many honours and accolades throughout his 35 years serving and protecting British Columbia's marine creatures from poachers and polluters, both for his approach to the job and his efforts to resolve resource management disputes between the government and First Nations.
Working in enforcement, Nelson gained first-hand experience in the creative ways of poachers, whom he successfully outwitted time and time again — though it was often hard to share that knowledge with his superiors. While Nelson spent each day patrolling B.C.'s many remote areas, most of his managers were stuck behind their desks, far away from the frontline.
Two years after leaving his post as director of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Conservation and Protection Branch in B.C., Nelson was ready to write about his incredible and sometimes life-threatening experiences in the line of duty.
It turned into the book Poachers, Polluters and Politics: A Fishery Officer's Career, recently released by Harbour Publishing. Delivered in Nelson's light-hearted and entertaining way, it offers the reader a rare glimpse into the serious business of wildlife protection, and the sometimes frustrating bureaucracy within the federal fisheries department.
The Tyee caught up with Nelson for a chat. Our interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
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