The Save Our Seafood Act permanently exempts fish processors from the cap on H-2B temporary worker visas, allowing seafood processing companies to hire foreign workers without counting against the annual visa limit. The bill applies to workers employed as fish processors, fish roe processors, fish roe technicians, or supervisors of fish roe processing, with "fish" defined broadly to include finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, and other aquatic animals but excluding marine mammals and birds. The exemption covers various processing activities including handling, freezing, preparing, and packing seafood products, but does not apply to workers only harvesting or transporting fish, or those working in retail establishments. The legislation repeals an existing provision from the 2005 Defense Appropriations Act that had previously addressed this issue. The bill affects seafood processing companies seeking to fill worker shortages and is intended to help maintain the viability of the U.S. seafood industry.
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