SeafoodSource: Texas shrimpers ask Trump administration for more H-2B visas amid labor shortage

U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) has asked the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to release more temporary worker visas for his state’s shrimp industry, which is facing labor shortages ahead of the upcoming commercial season.

“Shrimpers from my congressional district and across the Gulf region applied for the H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers program but have not secured the necessary visas for the upcoming shrimp season, which begins on 15 July,” Gonzalez said in a 13 May letter. “The domestic shrimping industry is already facing an existential crisis due to unfair competition from foreign imports, combined with severe labor shortages and increased fuel prices. Without immediate action from the administration, this industry will suffer irreparable harm if they cannot employ the workers they need for the upcoming commercial shrimp season.”

A NOAA Fisheries snapshot report on the Gulf shrimp sector noted that relatively low wages and the uncertainty involved in that work make it difficult for vessel owners to find willing and competent workers.

“The 10-year average implicit wage is USD 215 (EUR 185) per day at sea. This wage is low considering the context of working at sea for multiple weeks at a time and the assumption of income risk by the crew (i.e., the uncertainty of the effective wage and total pay at the start of a trip),” the report stated. 

“Unsurprisingly, vessel owners report difficulty in finding sufficient crew and about the ‘quality’ of crew willing to work under these conditions, especially in times of low shrimp prices.”

Foreign temporary workers often help fill that gap. 

“These Mexican workers have been experienced workers. They know what they’re doing. Some of them are born and raised in the industry here in the area. Shrimping is a dying industry. People are not looking into it,” Alberto Ochoa with Ochoa Trawlers said, according to RFDTV.

However, demand for H-2B visas far outstrips supply. The U.S. government usually releases 66,000 visas annually, but Congress has authorized the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to roughly double the number of available visas to meet soaring demand. The government has typically released the full number of visas possible, and at the beginning of 2026, the Trump administration announced an additional 64,716 visaswould be made available this year.

Even so, applications for H-2B visas remain higher than the availability, and the government uses a lottery system to select who receives the limited number of temporary visas. Some seafood companies have moved away from utilizing H-2B visas to fill their workforce, citing the uncertainty around securing the seasonal labor they need through that lottery.

As of 21 April, the first two allocations of additional visas have already been claimed, and Gonzalez said Texas shrimpers have largely been unable to secure any. Accordingly, the lawmaker asked Trump administration officials to exempt shrimpers who have been authorized to hire H-2B laborers from the statutory cap.

“I ask that you all release visas to the employers who have an approved H-2B Temporary Labor Certification but are facing a capped allocation whether that be from additional H-2B or H-2A visas or any program deemed necessary. This action is crucial to provide shrimpers with the resources to sustain operations in a challenging industry,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said his letter came after listening to concerns from the Texas Shrimp Association.

“Due to this administration's America Last policies, South Texas shrimpers are being hit with increased fuel prices, severe labor shortages, and unfair foreign competition paid for by taxpayer funds,” Gonzalez said in a social media post following that meeting.

“The U.S. shrimp industry is grateful to Congressman Gonzalez for drawing the administration’s attention to the plight of the south Texas shrimp fleet,” Southern Shrimp Alliance Director Blake Price said in a release. 

“For many years, shrimp boats in Texas have been crewed by experienced fishermen with H-2B visas and been important contributors to the region’s coastal economy.  Without access to the H-2B visa program, these boats cannot work and communities will suffer.”