Scientists fear decline in regal blue tang because of Finding Dory movie

The release of Disney Pixar’s animated film Finding Nemo in 2003 caused a decline in the population of wild clownfish as moviegoers sought to get themselves their own clownfish or Nemos.

Now, a few weeks before the expected release of Finding Dory, some scientists have started to worry that history might repeat itself, this time affecting the regal blue tang fish which takes the lead role in the sequel.

Finding Dory takes place months after the events of Finding Nemo. It will tell the story of the amnesiac regal blue tang Dory and her journey towards reuniting with her family.

Some Australian scientists have expressed concern that the upcoming release of the film could see another decline in the population of ornamental marine fish.

Marine biologist Anita Nedosyko recalled that at the time the Finding Nemo was released, she was working at an aquarium and was actually researching on clownfish.

"I was shocked by how many people came in to get clownfish when that movie was released," she told Brisbane Times.

Nedosyko said that almost half of the clownfish sold at aquariums were taken from the wild using destructive practices, specifically in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Philippines

"In places like Southeast Asia where it isn't managed well, they use destructive practices. They use cyanide, it stuns the fish, it makes it easier to catch them,” the biologist said.

"There has been some documentation of places where they once found clownfish where they can't find them anymore, the numbers in the wild are reducing," she added.

Because of this, she and some other researchers from University of Queensland and Flinder University launched the Saving Nemo Conservation Fund to provide education, awareness and captive breeding programs.

According to Nedosyko, regal blue tangs are not easy to breed, making them susceptible to having their numbers decline if they are extracted from the ocean.

"They are fully taken from the wild, there are no captive breeding programs. They are very vulnerable in aquarium environments as well because of their environment, they need algae and that is not easy to replicate with fish pellets and are prone to disease," she said.

She hopes conservation efforts done to protect the clownfish and regal blue tang will make moviegoers think twice before adopting their own Dory’s and Nemo’s.

“We are not trying to discourage having them as pets,” she said. “They are incredible to watch, and they promote a love of [wildlife]. We are just saying, 'Think smart about the impact, and think about where your fish are coming from.”

In an interview with Yahoo!, Dory’s voice actor Ellen de Generes said she hopes the movie sparks discussions on protecting the environment.

“It’s what this whole sequel is about: It’s about rehabilitation and putting them back in the ocean,” DeGeneres said. “Hopefully that discussion starts with this film, because we really need to protect that environment.” -Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena/NB, GMA News