By Alabama Public Radio
Bayou La Batre, AL – A new University of South Alabama and state Conservation Department study shows Alabama's losses from Hurricane Katrina total more than 112 million dollars. Shrimp nets and oyster boats are already back into coastal waters in south Alabama. A spokesman for seafood processors in Bayou La Batre now says the next step is regaining market share and bringing back displaced workers. Seafood sales collapsed when the bayou's processing plants had to shut down because of hurricane damage and power outages. The loss of ice plants in Mississippi and Louisiana also caused serious problems. Experts say the seafood industry's recovery greatly depends on how soon fishermen can get back to work.