An exclusive interview with John Sellar, former Chief of Enforcement for CITES.
My interview with John marks the first episode of the re-launch of our Behind the Schemes podcast (after more than a year hiatus), where we bring you candid conversations with influential and interesting people who are fighting back against wildlife crime.
John Sellar is the author of The UN’s Lone Ranger: Combating International Wildlife Crime. John was an officer in the Scottish Police Service from 1973 until 1997, during which period he served as a detective (investigating murders, rapes and human rights abuse cases) and ultimately was officer-in-charge of an area where royal security played a major part of his remit. He then moved to the United Nations and, until 2011, was Chief of Enforcement for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), where he assisted countries in combating wildlife crime. Now retired, he undertakes work as an Anti-Smuggling, Fraud and Organized Crime consultant.
John’s book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the global wildlife crime crisis we are facing right now. John’s first-hand accounts of his time as the CITES Chief of Enforcement are at once entertaining, enlightening — and sometimes, kind of scary!