In Australia, most oysters live in areas remote from human and industrial pollution, though polluted waters are a problem in Japan. Many Australian oyster farms are in remote bays, where their lines and buoys present no obstruction to boat traffic. Oysters, like most shellfish, are sensitive to water quality and if stressed they produce poor quality pearls and become susceptible to disease. At present, wild stocks are found in pristine areas of the State's north-west, which provides farm sites with the most fundamental environmental requirements; sheltered waters in case of cyclones, sufficient depth and good tidal flow to flush water around the oysters. An independant report commissioned by the Pearl Producers Association in 1998 on the environmental impact of pearling ( P. maxima ) in Western Australia found that the industry in general was environmentally benign, producing a high value product with a minimum of environmental distruption. | 