FISHING CREEK — The room was empty and the silence was deafening. You could hear a pin drop if it fell into an empty bushel.
That was the state of the crab-picking room Tuesday, July 17, at Russell Hall Seafood in Fishing Creek when Gov. Larry Hogan met with Dorchester County crab processors to talk about how the Maryland crab industry could be on the brink of extinction after many processors were again shut out of the needed H-2B visas.
In a typical season, the room would be filled with seasonal workers from Mexico picking the day’s catch before the crab meat would be shipped all around the world. Traditionally, Dorchester crab meat processors apply for federal H-2B visas for about 500 guest, seasonal workers; the process is first-come, first-serve.
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