Mom fined $88,000 after her children collected 72 clams — not seashells — at a California beach

• A mother was fined $88,000 after her family collected 72 clams from a California beach.
• People cannot collect clams without a fishing license in California. 
• A San Luis Obispo County judge later reduced the fine to $500.

A California mother received a $88,000 fine after her children collected dozens of clams they believed were seashells.

Charlotte Russ told news station ABC30 that her family vacationed at Pismo Beach, a coastal city known for its beaches and local sea life, in late 2023. The residents dubbed Pismo Beach the "Clam Capital of the World" in 1947, according to the Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau.