One of the key objectives of the WA Dept of Fisheries Business Plan is to ensure ecological and environmental sustainability of the pearling industry. The proposed project will be of direct benefit to the Western Australian pearling industry in that it will document the existence of the ciliate and its effect on an economically very important oyster species, it will establish whether the parasite is in the wildstock oysters in Zone 1 and it will establish whether the parasite has a reservoir host. This information is required by pearling companies in assessing their level of risk of getting or transmitting the parasite, given that, for environmental reasons, translocation of infected oysters out of Zone 1 is currently not permitted.

There is an international shortage of pathologists with expertise in molluscan pathology and a National need for research projects that are suitable for the postgraduate training of aquatic animal health specialists.

The Aquatic Animal Health Committee (AAHC), National Aquatic Animal Health Technical Working Group (NAAHTWG) and the Federal Government through the Aquaplan Initiative have all recognised a need for Australian veterinary education institutions to participate in specialised postgraduate training programmes in aquatic animal health.