Governor Walker announced Wednesday that he had withdrawn his nomination of Duncan Fields to the Alaska Board of Fisheries. Retiring board member Al Cain has rescinded his retirement and has agreed to remain on the Board, filling the vacant seat.
The governor’s decision comes after 16 Alaska outdoor-sporting organizations expressed opposition of the nominee and hundreds of Alaskans across the state who voiced their concern to the Legislature over the governor’s nominee.
Executive Director at Kenai River Sportfishing Association, Ricky Gease;
Gease: “This outcome will restore Anchorage’s representation on the Board and maintains the balance among commercial, sport, personal use and subsistence interests on the Board. We applaud the other 15 Alaska-sporting-groups, and the many anglers and personal-use dip netters across the state for reaching out to policy makers in Juneau about a fair and balanced representation on the Board of Fish. At KRSA we’re committed to uniting Alaska’s sport and personal-use fishing communities to advocate for anglers’ rights.”
Alan Cain, of Anchorage, spent 25 years as an Alaska Wildlife Trooper and 10 years as the criminal justice planner for the Department for Fish and Game. Cain spent 15 years as a consultant to the Board of Fisheries as an enforcement expert and has served on the Board since March 2016.