(NewsNation) — Officials fined a California mom more than $88,000 after the seashells her children collected on vacation turned out to be 72 clams.
Fresno woman Charlotte Russ and her children thought they were collecting seashells during their Pismo Beach trip, but a ticket bearing a hefty fine set the record straight.
Broken seashells and dead sand dollars are OK to bring home as souvenirs, but if you can’t take apart two shells, they’re likely clams, which are protected under state rules, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told ABC 7.
California has regulations around clams so they can grow to 4 1/2 inches and spawn, a department spokesperson told ABC 7.
Russ explained the mistake, and a judge reduced her fine to $500, the outlet reported.