Governor Martin O’Malley released this statement today following the announcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that it will release additional FY09 H-2B visas for temporary workers, which will provide immediate relief to numerous crab processing businesses in Maryland.

“On behalf of all Marylanders, particularly those on our Eastern Shore, I want to thank Congressman Frank Kratovil, who along with Senator Mikulski, Majority Leader Hoyer and others, worked tirelessly towards today’s announcement by the Department of Homeland Security.

“Maryland’s historic crab industry depends on the H-2B program, and today’s announcement is good news for all whose livelihood depends on the crab industry.  These additional temporary worker visas will allow the crab picking houses on our Shore to remain strong throughout the season with the workforce they need.”

Federal immigration laws cap the H-2B program at 66,000 visas per year, and many crab processing facilities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore have had their H-2B applications denied as a result of the DHS formula for allocating visas under this cap.  DHS will acknowledge today that visas have been under-allocated under the fiscal year 2009 cap and an additional 25,000 visas will be immediately released.  Maryland’s crab industry has been working with a severe labor shortage that has prevented a number of processing facilities from opening this season, while those that have been opened have been operating at levels far below capacity.  Reopening these facilities will have a positive impact on the local economy.  A recent study from the University of Maryland found that each H-2B worker in the crab industry supports 2.5 American jobs. 

Governor O’Malley also engaged in aggressive advocacy on behalf of this struggling industry.  On April 28, 2008, he signed onto a letter along with 16 other governors to Congressional Leadership requesting emergency extension of the cap, and on June 26, 2009, he initiated a letter signed by seven other governors to Congress requesting that they take up bills sponsored by Senator Mikulski and Congressman Kratovil that would provide relief.