Fishermen gathered last week at BP’s claims office in Bayou La Batre, Ala.
By Chavon Sutton, staff reporterMay 24, 2010: 3:34 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The scope of the damage from the Gulf Coast oil spill is still hard to calculate, but here’s a grim tally: More than 23,000 workers and business owners along the Gulf Coast have filed claims so far for lost income.

BP (BP) has made payments already on 9,000 of those claims, disbursing $27.8 million to fishermen, shrimpers, charter boat captains and others whose livelihoods are now in limbo, according to BP spokesman David Nicholas. The company has 420…