The Alaska seafood sector annually depends on international laborers, primarily from Mexico, the Philippines, and Ukraine. These workers fill essential processing roles during the intense, high-volume commercial fishing seasons. Before turning to the H-2B visa program, companies must demonstrate an inability to recruit enough American workers. Thousands of guest workers are hired each year to meet the demanding labor needs.
However, seafood processing companies compete for H-2B visas alongside various non-agricultural industries, including construction, landscaping, and hospitality. The current congressional cap of 66,000 visas per year, divided into two seasonal allocations, creates uncertainty and potential workforce shortages for the seafood industry.
Senator Murkowski highlighted the nature of Alaska’s seafood supply chain, stating that a lack of processing personnel can trigger a domino effect, jeopardizing the livelihoods of coastal communities, family-owned fishing boats, and numerous Alaskans employed within the sector. The “Save Our Seafood Act” is designed to provide a dependable workforce pipeline, ensuring consistent processing and delivery of the state’s high-quality seafood.
While a similar legislative attempt by Murkowski in 2023 did not move forward, the current bill has gathered early support from senators representing states with significant fishing industries, such as Virginia, Maryland, and Louisiana. This support demonstrates a growing awareness of the widespread issues that labor shortages can have on the seafood sector.
The reliance of Alaska’s seafood processing industry on non-resident workers has steadily increased, reaching over 80% in 2023, according to data from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This growing dependence coincides with a decline in the overall number of seafood processing jobs within the state. Despite recent economic challenges facing the Alaska seafood market, including declining fish prices and global competition, the labor demands of the processing sector remain strong.
Brian Gannon, Vice President of Government Relations at LaborMex, a company facilitating the hiring of international workers, estimates that Alaska’s seafood processing needs peak at around 4,000 workers during the summer months, significantly higher than the 554 H-2B visas sought for processor roles in 2023. The process for recruiting these workers involves international job fairs, background checks, visa interviews, and the arrangement of travel and housing for those approved to work in Alaska’s numerous onshore plants and at-sea processing vessels.
The $16.50 per hour wage, coupled with provided airfare, housing, and meals, continues to attract international workers. The proposed legislation aims to streamline this process by removing the restrictive visa cap, ensuring the continued viability of Alaska’s crucial seafood industry.