A MOTHER almost had to pay $88,000 after her children accidentally collected rows of clams, thinking they were shells.
Charlotte Russ’ family’s day trip to the beach was ruined after her children mistakenly hoarded 72 live clams in total.
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But there are rules and regulations in place when it comes to shellfishing in Pismo Beach, California.
Russ, thinking that the clams his children collected were just shells, ended up being approached by beach officials from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
After a brief encounter, she was fined $88,000.
“It made me really sad and depressed and kind of ruined our trip,” Russ told the local ABC affiliate. KFSN-TV.
“My kids thought they were collecting shells, but they were actually collecting clams, 72 to be exact,” Russ said.
Matthew Gil with the Department of Fish and Wildlife says that while it can be difficult to tell which is just a shell and which are live, there are rules to protect this species of shellfish.
“If you have a dead sand dollar, or a dead animal or something like that, or a broken shell, that’s OK,” Gil said.
“In Pismo clams, what you will see is that the two shells will be intact together,” he continued.
Simply put: if the two connected shells cannot be easily separated, then it is a mollusk.
This is something Russ and his sons already know.
She explained that there were some signs posted, but she wished there were more, and that they were clearer about what a mollusk and a regular shell were, as it wasn’t something her family knew the difference between.
“They know now that at the beach they don’t touch anything,” Russ said.
“But now that they know what a mollusk is, versus what a shell is, I had to explain it to them.”
Russ was scheduled to appear in court for his ticket not long later in San Luis Obispo County.
But after explaining the accident to the judge, they reduced the fine from almost $90,000 to just $500.
The judge seemed to be sympathetic to the accident.
Last year, 58 citations were issued to people for illegal shellfish fishing in San Luis Obispo, although it does not appear to be an accident.
This was a huge victory in Russ’s eyes, which she now laughs about.
Since this misadventure, Russ has jokingly gotten a seashell tattoo to remind her of the situation and how good her children are at being cursed.
“It was definitely an expensive trip to Pismo, unforgettable,” Russ said.
Pismo Beach Clam Regulations
Can you look for clams in Pismo Beach?
Yes, but you must have a fishing license and follow the size and quantity guidelines defined by state legislation:
- A saltwater fishing license is required. Licenses are issued by the Department of Fish and Game.
- Clams should measure 4 1/2″ in diameter before harvesting.
- Undersized clams should be replaced in the same hole from which they were removed.
- Clams can only be harvested half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset.
- The limit for clams is 10 clams per day per person
Source: City of Pismo Beach
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
