The Second Half of the 20. Century John McCabe

Intro North America Environment Ocean Awareness Mariculture •U.S. Agencies •Chesapeake Bay •Willapa Bay Asia Europe •France Navigational option: Focus on France Focus on Chesapeake Bay Focus on Willapa Bay

Much like the first half of the 20th century, the second half was also marked by enormous industrial growth and tremendous advancements in all the sciences. The Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf War came to pass. Next to the rich upper crust, a broad and prosperous middle class evolved in both Europe and North America. Great steps were taken in the areas of environmental protection. A number of powerful state and governmental agencies evolved in Europe and North America, which directly or indirectly complemented each other in protecting the environment and public health. Fighting pollution as well as rebuilding and maintaining the overall integrity of rivers, lakes and coastal environments became a prime endeavor of many nations both in Europe and North America. This had a considerable bolstering effect on the seafood industry as a whole.The term "aquaculture" became a powerful buzz word.

Both European and U.S. oyster growers were severely impacted by the advent of a number of "new" oyster diseases. The European oyster industry nearly collapsed completely by the early 70s due to oyster diseases. It rebounded, however, later in the 70s, due to the successful introduction of the Pacific oyster (replacing the former Portuguese oyster) as well as the continued cultivation of the European oysters with natural and laboratory raised seed stock. France continued to be the market leader in terms of oysters in Europe. Although France dominated the European oyster industry for the rest of the century, new players entered the game, most notably Scotland, Ireland, England, the Netherlands, and Germany. Compared to France, their volume was relatively small but the quality was (and still is) remarkably high. Although their cool waters dictate slow oyster growth and there was (and still is) a dependency on French natural oyster seed as well as laboratory seed, the ultimate product earned the respect of many European oyster lovers.

Starting in the 50s and 60s, U.S. oyster growers on the East Coast and the Gulf were besieged by two deadly parasites almost simultaneously: MSX and Dermo. These two diseases continued to ravage the Eastern oyster populations throughout the second half of the 20th century. They continue to do so now at the beginning of the 21st century. The Chesapeake Bay oyster industry was particularly hard hit by both oyster diseases. Neither of these two parasitic diseases was (or is to the present day) fully understood. Despite the setbacks, the Gulf states maintained a commanding lead in the U.S. oyster production (about 60% of the national total). The oyster growers in the Northeast continued to struggle with limited harvests (approximately 10% of the national total). The West Coast, however, saw a meteoric rise in oyster production (about 30% of the national total). The large scale production of oyster seed in American marine laboratories in the late 1970s allowed West Coast oyster growers to finally shed their dependency on Japan. In the last decade of the 20th century, U.S. oyster landings averaged about 35 - 40 million pounds of meats annually, valued at well over $100 million.

In terms of oysters (and shellfish in general), the second half of the 20th century was most remarkable, possibly more remarkable than any other time segment in the history of mankind. It marked a time of broad prosperity, both in North America and Europe. The first few decades of the second half were particularly exciting. Lots of people had plenty of money left over to spend on "the finer things in life". Countless Americans worked hard and turned "the American dream" into reality, complete with a nice home, 2.5 kids, color TV, and at least one big shiny new car in the driveway - the bigger, the better. An increasingly urbanized and educated society was able to focus more on travel and recreation. The powerful V-8 in that Bonneville was ready to take the whole family just about anywhere. Paris and PanAm was the perfect package and the exchange rate for "Dollar to Deutsche Mark" was simply delightful. Luxuries, like Champagne for instance, were no longer just reserved for weddings and victory or business celebrations. In some years, the United States imported more than 18 million bottles of the famous French bubbly - the British importing even more. Oysters fit in very nicely as a wholesome choice among foods or as that special oyster stuffing on Thanksgiving Day. The U.S. Dept. of the Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service issued a wonderful pamphlet titled "How to cook oysters" with lots of tempting recipes that made this tasty and nutritious bivalve irresistible. As a preferred appetizer on the half shell in an elegant setting, the oyster was no longer reserved for the "rich and famous". Just about anybody could afford it - and many did. Pearl necklaces were also highly popular. The pearl oysters of the Pacific often could not produce pearls fast enough to meet the high demand. Kokichi Mikimoto, the "Pearl King" built an international empire around his fabulous cultured pearls and ultimately became a very rich man.

The second half of the 20th century was also the époque of broad environmental awareness, followed by powerful legislation. Countless people worldwide also became highly intrigued by the mystery and beauty of the fascinating world below the waves. Aquaculture, the farming of animals and plants in lakes and oceans, began to evolve as a significant new food source for mankind.