Listen to the California Fish and Game Commission’s Emergency Fishing Meeting Erupt into Chaos

The California Fish and Game Commission scheduled an emergency meeting for 8:30 am on Thursday to discuss the status of fishing in the state following concerns of the Coronavirus outbreak. The digital meeting, available via webinar or phone, would discuss potentially giving temporary authority to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to suspend fishing in certain areas of the state. 

Due to poor technology, planning and a few bad apples in attendance, the meeting never made it out of its starting gate.

The above video shows the brief meeting as commission leaders attempted to organize with a full webinar and phone system, and a wave of enthusiastic and sometimes profane commenters who ruined the call for everyone. With over 600 people in attendance over the phone, it quickly erupted into a digital mob of angry anglers.

“I have a right to speak!”

“Fascists!”

“Let’s make fishing great again!”

“Take a stand, join the klan!”

The enthusiasm of anglers in the state was on display during the 2-minute meeting that was quickly delayed until they could figure out the technology to best give people a voice on the subject while sheltering-in-place. In the end, it was the loud voices that completely put an end to the meeting.

The meeting will be rescheduled for next week, although the time and avenue of that meeting has not been announced.