Kenai’s support of Board of Fish nominee Robert Ruffner is being interpreted by his critics as proof that Ruffner represents commercial fishing interests.
Mayor Pat Porter said those statements are simply not true…
Mayor Porter: “There’s resolutions out there from the Kenai Peninsula Borough, from the City of Soldotna, Kenai, Homer, all throughout our whole area he’s got tremendous support, so it’s just not our city that’s supporting him, which I think speaks a lot for the character of the gentleman.”
Vice Mayor Brian Gabriel is a commercial fishermen, but said that’s not why he’s supporting Ruffner. Gabriel said Ruffner will make decisions that will negatively impact commercial fishing businesses in the short term, but Ruffner will do it for the “right reasons”…
Vice Mayor Gabriel: “I am a commercial fishermen, but one of the tenants of long-time commercial fishermen is they want to continue to be a commercial fisherman. In order to continue to be a commercial fishermen, you want to see fish come back. We want to have a person in there that that’s going to be his priority, to make decisions based on what’s going to happen 5, 10, 15 years from now, not just who’s going to get the fish next summer.”
Ruffner’s nomination will be part of tomorrow morning’s joint legislative session, which was ordered by the Governor.
The criticism of Ruffner has largely been coming from the Kenai River Sportsfishing Association. Calls to their offices haven’t yet been returned.
