Mom Faces $88,000 Fine After Her Children Pick Up ‘Seashells’ on the Beach

Fortunately, in a San Luis Obispo County courtroom last month, the amount was reduced to $500, which can be paid through community service.

Wildlife experts explained that the regulation is in place to protect the shellfish. The juvenile clams that Russ’ children took hadn’t yet spawned.

KFSN reported that last year alone, 57 other citations were issued in San Luis Obispo for the same infraction.

Russ said that for her kids, it was a pricey lesson, but they’ve learned from it. She said, “They know now at the beach don’t touch anything, but they know now what a clam is compared to what a seashell is now. I’ve had to explain that to them.”