$500 Fine For Picking Up A Clam

Hi Reddit!

So this is advice more for my mom than for myself, but she has been so hard on herself since getting it and this is such dumb a ticket and I'd really like to give her the best advice for her to get out of it. So here's the story:

She and my dad were vacationing in Pismo Beach in California when she saw some closed clams washed on the shore, thought they were cool, and picked them up to go show my Dad. As she was walking over one of the beach patrols drove over and stopped her to basically yell at her, and get this gave her a ticket FOR FISHING WITHOUT A LICENSE. She did not have a bucket, she was not digging up clams, they were washed ashore and she honestly thought they dead. When she said she can just put them back the officer goes "No you can't do that, that's another ticket if you do. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Also, the clam is too small, they need to be a certain size in order for you to take them home, which I COULD give you a ticket for too, but I'll just give you the ticket for fishing without a license". The officer confiscated the clams...and then just threw them in back of their truck and drove off. They didn't even go and put them back or anything. The officer SAYS there was a sign posted in the parking lot, but not only did they not see one, they didn't even park in the lot, they were staying close enough to the beach to walk to it. I understand ignorance of the law isn't an excuse, but when the average reasonable person wouldn't consider picking up something to be fishing, is that enforceable?

Anyways, she finally got the ticket in the mail and they're charging her with a $485 fine! I understand if they're trying to conserve the clam population, they obviously don't want people taking them, but wouldnt educating people be a better route to take than bullying them into a ticket? Especially since my mom was so compliant, she didn't argue with the officer or anything. Just seems like a way to prey a tourists.

Rant aside, is there an argument she can use or way she can get out of the ticket or at least get it reduced? Anything will help, she didn't deserve to be treated like that and I want to help her as much as possible.