Kodiak, Alaska, fisherman Duncan Fields has withdrawn his nomination to the Alaska Board of Fisheries to make way for the reappointment of sport fisherman Alan Cain, according to Alaska Gov. Bill Walker’s office.

“Duncan Fields, previously selected by Governor Walker to fill the impending vacancy, withdrew his name so that Mr. Cain will have the opportunity to serve a second term,” the office said in a press release.

Fields, who has run a setnet operation in Uyak Bay with his brothers for almost 60 years, served nine years on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in addition to his career as a fishing industry consultant.

Sport fishing groups criticized Fields’ nomination, saying it would upset the recreational-commercial representative balance on the board.

“You couldn’t accommodate every interest group, every gear type, every region in Alaska with seven seats,” said Fields.

Cain, an Anchorage resident, had decided to step down after one term on the board, but opted to seek reappointment after Fields was nominated.

Cain served as an Alaska Wildlife Trooper for 25 years and as the criminal justice planner for the Department for Fish and Game for 10 years. He has extensive statewide experience with various fisheries, gear groups and harvest methods. Cain also has 15 years under his belt as an enforcement expert for the Board of Fisheries. His first term began March 2016.

Cain’s nomination would have to be approved by the state Legislature.