Jun 9, 2009 6:51 pm US/Eastern
Eastern Shore Crab Packing Houses Sitting Empty
TIMONIUM, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Out of 20 crab packing houses on the Eastern Shore, 18 are sitting empty.
Eastern Shore crab packing houses are sitting empty because they can't get workers, leaving a Maryland mainstay on the ropes.
Alex DeMetrick reports how this is hitting local retailers and who can't get Maryland crab meat.
It may look tranquil, but on Hooper's Island in Dorchester County, summer is looking bleak.
Out of 20 crab packing houses on the Eastern Shore, 18 are sitting idle and empty. With no one willing to pick crabs, locals are suffering.
Customers at places like Gibby's Seafood in Timonium are noticing the effect of the workers' absence.
"Memorial Day, we had no Maryland crab meat whatsoever. That's the first time that's happened in 25 years," said customer Darcy Bibby.
Since then, some packaged Maryland crab meat has come in but not enough to fill the demand.
What Gibby's is doing is giving a note to every costumer, urging them to call Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer.
The problem stems from the inability of workers from Mexico to get into Maryland.
Only 66,000 worker visas are allowed for the entire country and they were snapped up before packing houses could even apply.
In the past, more visas were issued, but this year Congress has yet to act.
Unfortunately, a job fair to hire locals on the shore only brought a handful of applicants.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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