Is it possible Disney Pixar’s intended message is being lost, with Nemo and Dory’s real life counterparts paying the price?
We all remember the scene where young, spirited Nemo is suddenly captured by a diver and whisked out of the sea, far away from his dad. Ironically, the popularity of Finding Nemo perpetuated just that. Instead of fostering an appreciation for leaving marine animals in their natural habitat, sales of Nemo’s real-life inspiration (i.e. clown fish, Amphiprion ocellaris) skyrocketed to support the aquarium trade’s new top fish.
Most people don’t realize that 90% of marine aquarium species are taken from the wild, a staggering fact reported by the United Nations Environmental Programme in 2003. If wildlife collection isn’t carried out in an appropriate and sustainable way, it can cause irreversible damage to coral reefs. However, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, up to 90% of the 11 million tropical fish that enter the U.S. for aquariums each year are caught illegally with cyanide. Cyanide is used to stun fish, making them easier to catch; however, this popular method is not only harmful to the fish, but also to the fragile coral reef and other non-target fish.
Individuals, like University of Queensland’s Associate Professor Karen Burke da Silva, have been breeding certain species of clown fish in controlled settings to try and keep up with clown fish demand and help mitigate the environmental impact caused by the fish’s newfound popularity. However, there is concern that with the release of Finding Dory, there will be another massive boom in marine reef fish demand for aquariums that our fragile reefs may be unable to support. Unlike clownfish, blue tangs (Paracanthurus hepatus aka Dory’s character) have yet to be bred successfully in captivity. Breeding this species is difficult due to lack of sufficient space, since blue tangs are pelagic spawners. They mate mid-water column and release thousands of tiny eggs, which once hatched in captivity, are extremely difficult to keep alive. This means that any blue tang fish you see out of the ocean was taken from the wild.
As stoke levels rise with Finding Dory’s release, it’s important to remember the underlying message behind the Disney films: the ocean is a magical place, teeming with life, and it’s up to us to take care of our watery planet. How can people do this while still taking a part of the ocean home with them? Waterlust wants to offer you an eco-friendly alternative. Finding Dory has added a whole new cast of characters including Destiny the whale shark! Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the sea. They’re slow-moving docile creatures that are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Instead of taking Dory out of the ocean, let’s celebrate a collective love for our blue planet that Finding Dory inspires by supporting Dory’s friend Destiny, the whale shark. Waterlust has created eco-friendly whale shark print leggings (for kids and adults) out of recycled plastic bottles that directly help support whale shark research. When you purchase these Whale Shark Warrior leggings, 10% of the profits are donated to the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF). The MMF uses these donations to purchase satellite tags to track whale sharks’ whereabouts in order to learn more about them. The more scientists know about these animals through hard data, the better chance we have to support appropriate legislation to protect them.
Editor’s Note: Visit Waterlust to learn more and pick up a pair and support the largest fish in the sea
