Fishermen in the bayou rally against BP

BAYOU LA BATRE, Alabama (WALA) - Commercial fishermen rallied to block off the Bayou La Batre Channel in an effort to protest BP's contract hiring process.

Brent Buchanan is a fifth-generation Gulf Coast fisherman. The Baldwin County native helped organize Wednesday's protest. Buchanan and around 150 other commercial fishermen want two things:

"I want to see every commercial fisherman that's affected by the oil in the Gulf Coast get a job; and I want them to stop the damn thing," said Buchanan.

Buchanan was briefly detained during the event.

The commercial fishermen briefly blocked the entrance to the Mississippi Sound to get a BP representative to talk to them about the Vessels of Opportunity program. But a representative never came.

"We were waiting for them and when the law came, they ensured us that someone from BP would be down here to sign contracts and hire people because that's the whole issue - that outside folks that don't even have commercial fishing license is getting to work this, and our boys that need work are not getting hired," said local fisher Misty Bosarge.

Protesters said BP is hiring more boaters from Louisiana and other states than Alabama, and more recreational fishers than commercial fishers.

"I got no kick about them hiring recreational boats. That's fine. But I think they ought to take care of the commercial fisherman, the ones who's livelihood is in danger first," said Ray Foster, another local commercial fisherman.

After several hours, authorities ordered the protesters to break up and go on their ways. But as Buchanan mentioned, they no longer have jobs to go to.

"This is what's really frustrating. I hate to have to come to this measure, but if they don't show this time, what can we do to get their attention?"

Like stopping the oil leak, it's a question that still doesn't have an answer.