Bayou La Batre Area Chamber of Commerce
BAYOU LA BATRE: SEAFOOD CAPITAL Of ALABAMA

Alabama has a relatively short coastline in terms of miles. However, our location in the central portion of the Gulf of Mexico makes Alabama seafood processors and facilities important to both Alabama registered fishing vessels and to large numbers of transient vessels with home ports in other states. Alabama has two seafood ports, Bayou La Batre and Bon Secour/Gulf Shores with Bayou La Batre producing about three quarters of all Alabama landings.

Bayou La Batre may at first glance appear to be a fishing community of modest size. The 1980 Census placed the town's population at 2,000, while more recent estimates indicate Bayou La Batre has grown by an additional 1,500 persons. Bearing these population statistics in mind, would it surprise you to know that Bayou La Batre has consistently ranked among the twenty most economically valuable commercial fishing ports in the United States? In 1986, based on the value of landings, Bayou La Batre ranked 7th in the nation; even with a smaller harvest in 1987, Bayou La Batre ranked 18th in the nation in terms of the value of product landed.

In addition to being Alabama's "Seafood Capital", Bayou La Batre and South Mobile County have a number of unique, specialized industries that add to Alabama's economic base.

Each of these industries is dependent upon our marine and coastal resources. Each of these sectors has the potential to become even more important to the area and the state if appropriate strategies are developed.