Beach day disrupted by Gaga's penalty - Mother faces 81,000 euro fine for gathering shellfish.
Charlotte Russ and her family enjoyed their time at Pismo Beach, California, also known as the "Pearl Capital of the World," when her children collected a total of 72 abalone shells. This caught the attention of the authority responsible for fishing regulations, who confronted the mother for collecting living abalone instead of just the shells. In California, there are severe restrictions on abalone collection.
After the confrontation, Russ received a bill of $88,000 for her actions. This prompted her to take legal action, eventually resulting in a fine of $500 (€460) from a judge. She shared her experience with ABC7, saying, "It made me really sad and depressed at first. It ruined our trip a bit."
Despite the negative outcomes, Russ found a silver lining in the situation. She stated that her children and her learned about wildlife regulations as a result. They now recognize the difference between a living abalone and dead shells and understand they can't collect everything from the beach.
As a reminder of the extravagant trip to Pismo Beach, she decided to get a tattoo of an abalone on her arm. "It was definitely an expensive and unforgettable trip to Pismo," she concludes.
A statement by the responsible authority clarified the purpose of the strict penalties for collecting abalone without a license. They explained that Venus abalone must grow to 11 inches in length to reproduce. The abalone population has been rapidly declining in recent years due to overfishing.
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Source: symclub.org
