Gov. Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter Franchot have once again joined forces to call for an increase in H-2B visas as the peak of seafood processing season beckons.
Hogan underscored the importance of addressing labor shortages and the economic impact of the industry to the region amid rising demand in a Feb. 15 letter to the Maryland Congressional Delegation.
“These temporary workers have long represented an important and long-valued part of our workforce,” Hogan wrote. “They are even more critical now given the acute labor shortages and critical role the seafood industry plays in Maryland communities, especially those on the Eastern Shore.”
Such dire news coincides with nine out of 10 companies calling the limited labor availability “a challenge that threatens the survival of Maryland’s seafood business.”
“As things stand today, only a single crab processing facility in Maryland is slated to receive much-needed H-2B workers for the 2022 season,” Hogan wrote. “If left unchecked, this will deal a devastating, potentially fatal blow to an industry and a way of life that is woven into the fabric of this great state.”
According to data cited by Hogan, 2021 saw responding crabmeat processors purchasing 16.1 million pounds of live crabs valued at $32.4 million.
In Maryland alone, the expected reduction of H-2B workers to 940 from a previous total of 1,397 represents a cost of $141 million to the state. Estimates cited by Hogan stipulate only 10% of the total workforce will be available for the 2022 season.
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Hogan cited the bipartisan letter to President Biden signed by various governors calling for more visas as testament to the importance to the assistance needed by the seafood industry.
Such dire news coincides with nine out of 10 companies calling the limited labor availability “a challenge that threatens the survival of Maryland’s seafood business.”
“As things stand today, only a single crab processing facility in Maryland is slated to receive much-needed H-2B workers for the 2022 season,” Hogan wrote. “If left unchecked, this will deal a devastating, potentially fatal blow to an industry and a way of life that is woven into the fabric of this great state.”
For his part, Franchot also wrote a letter Thursday, Feb. 24, to Ur M. Jaddou, director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“Labor shortages and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have already posed significant challenges to our seafood industry, made only worse by USCIS’ inconsistent and unexplainable pattern of disapproving applications for the H-2B program,” Franchot wrote.
Citing the state’s reputation as a hub for seafood processing delivered across the nation and the world, Franchot also decried the impact of labor shortages on many family-owned businesses.
According to a survey conducted by the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industry Association and the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland’s seafood entities expect seasonal labor for this year’s crab-packing season to be the most challenging ever.
“Through no fault of their own, businesses in the seafood harvesting and processing industry that have operated for decades will be forced to shutter their doors for good,” Franchot wrote. “That leads to layoffs of permanent and temporary workers and increased unemployment in communities and counties that are already experiencing economic challenges.”
Among the goals outlined by Franchot was that Citizenship and Immigration Services better engage businesses that are directly impact by the agency’s decisions.
“I am certain that after hearing from them directly, the Biden administration will do the right thing and increase the number of applications approved under this program,” Franchot concluded.
In Virginia
Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-VA, also joined the crescendo of support for additional visas along with 188 other members of congress in a letter to Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor.
The agencies announced an additional 20,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for fiscal 2022. These visas will be set aside for U.S. employers seeking to employ additional workers on or before March 31, 2022.
“Every year, my office hears from seafood businesses about how difficult it is to fulfill labor needs in an industry with incredibly demanding and temporary jobs,” Warner said. “These businesses, often small and family-owned, live in a constant state of worry, unsure whether they’ll have to cancel contracts because they can’t get the workers that they need.”
While Warner praised the additional visas, he noted more will be required in the spring when our seafood processors face their busiest season of the year.
Warner added he will continue to press for more visas as the processing season draws near.
