I am writing in response to the article on Jan. 23 regarding the worming and clamming industry.

I dug worms for 40-plus years. I am now retired, but I have seen this animosity between the two groups happen for years. Did anyone ever check to see how many clam diggers also have worm digger licenses so they can dig worms during red tide shutdowns when the clam flats are closed? It didn’t used to be this way until the state gave towns the right to control licensing. By doing this, the towns took away the livelihood of a lot of diggers who used to dig both clams and worms.

This has caused the animosity between the two groups because wormers can no longer dig clams, but there is no restriction against clammers digging worms.

I believe that nothing happens when worm diggers complain to the state about circumstances that threaten their livelihood. When clam diggers complain about circumstances that threaten their livelihood, however, the state seems to consistently support their concerns over the concerns of worm diggers.

Clarence Larrabee Chelsea