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CNN Sunday Morning

Clam Diggers Criticize Logan Airport

Aired February 10, 2002 - 11:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well after the events of September 11th, Boston's Logan Airport faced criticism for security problems. But now, the airport's tightened security measures are drawing criticism from local clam diggers. CNN's Bill Delaney takes a closer look at the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): With a furious wind galing off Boston Harbor, Wayne Wiitala, claim digger on the outskirts of Logan Airport for a quarter century now, and his son Sean. Two generations in a backbreaking business.

WAYNE WIITALA, CLAM DIGGER: It's very, very hard work.

DELANEY: Work though they love, but now threatened since security concerns, the fear of terrorists infiltrating the airport, led to closing most clam beds near Logan, cutting clammers' earnings as much as 85 percent.

DELANEY (on camera): Of the five main areas that have supported clam diggers around here for generations, the tidal flat skirting the airport itself, as well as nearby Governor and Wood Island, are now off limits. Only on Snake Island, right here, and Winthrop Shores where I am can diggers still harvest clams.

DELANEY (voice over): Diggers say this collection of what they call racks, is a typical day's haul right now, a fourth less than before the new restrictions.

WIITALA: Normally you see about 40, 50 diggers out there. There's probably 10 to 12. Stop regulating us like we're the enemy. If they can't watch 40 guys, then put men on the runway to watch us digging, then they have a security problem themselves. If they can't overlook what we're doing, they're not doing their job.

DELANEY: Airport security officials say they're not backing down.

TOOM ROBBINS, LOGAN AIRPORT SECURITY: We can't have people in that secured area unaccounted for.

DELANEY: Diggers say they'd be better than anyone eyeing strangers. SEAN WIITALA: I'm in the Army Reserve right now. I'm there to protect my country. My father's a Vietnam veteran. We know everybody that's out here, and if we see somebody we don't know, we'll confront them.

DELANEY: For now though, for what's already very hard work, very hard times. Bill Delaney, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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