While that wall gets built…
Skeleton Crew
Season starts with shrimp boats lacking workers

“…He didn’t mince words when citing the difficulties the fleet faces this year, namely, a dire shortage of workers from Mexico.

The situation is caused by the failure of Congress to renew the H-2B Returning Worker Program, leaving boat owners and shrimp processors in a lurch. Andrea Hance, executive director of the Texas Shrimp Association, said as much as 20 percent of the Brownsville-Port Isabel fleet will stay tied up rather than heading out for the new season, which starts July 15.
Many boats that do go out will do so with skeleton crews, which means they won’t be able to handle as many shrimp. Adding insult to injury is the fact that this season is projected to be the best in years, Hance said.

“All the indicators show, with low fuel prices, there’s an abundance of shrimp out there and the prices have remained fairly stable,” she said. “This was going to be our year.”

A shortage of crew members also means boats won’t be able to head as many of the shrimp they do catch, which decreases the value. Head-on shrimp is worth about $2 less a pound at the dock than headless, Hance said.

The industry is fighting a misperception that it would rather hire Mexican H-2B visa workers than U.S. workers because they’re cheaper, Hance said, though the truth is that finding Americans to crew shrimp boats is practically impossible despite the industry’s best efforts. http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/business/article_277edd78-664b-11e7-b0b1-ffa2a14eb164.html

“Pro-business” Republicans at work, destroying business in a Republican state.