æt ðə pˈiːk ʌvðə ʃˈɛl ˈɪndʌstɹi ɪnðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti z, ðə bˈɑːduː flˈiːt ʌv θˈɜːtiːn bˈoʊts ɛmplˈɔɪd ɐ wˈɜːkfoːɹs ʌv tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd pɹəvˈaɪdɪŋ wˈɜːk fɔːɹ mˈɛni mˈɛn, ˈiːvən fɹʌm ˈʌðɚɹ ˈaɪləndz æz wˈɛl.
At the peak of the shell industry in the late 1950s, the Badu fleet of 13 boats employed a workforce of 200 providing work for many men, even from other islands as well.