Meet our team

My name is Richard Leischner. I live in Nanaimo and fish both sides of the central island primarily. I’ve been a boat owner for almost 20 years now. My biggest passion in life outside of family has always been fishing. My father started taking me out on the ocean when I was a very young boy. From those early years I was hooked! I’ve spent the better part of my entire life fishing both fresh and salt water. One of the best things about fishing is simply leaving the dock and all that stress behind. Once I’m on the water there’s no such thing as a bad time. Whether you catch or not doesn’t matter to me, it’s the experience of being out there, learning, and enjoying every moment. I was offered the opportunity last year to help out with the PSF Bottlenecks project and jumped on the chance to assist. Now as I get a little older I have realized that science is integral in order for us as a whole to ensure that fish remain in these waters for my children and their children beyond. My hopes are that with enough science backing the industry we can create and maintain a future salmon fishery for generations ahead. I’m super excited to be a part of this program for as long as the PSF and BCCF will have me!

Cheers and tight lines!