I, like many of you out there, am counting down the days until Finding Dory is released this month. It has been 13 years since Finding Nemo was released and in my opinion this sequel is long overdue.
We all know the loveable little blue fish named Dory who captured our hearts in the first movie. She has a bubbly personality, goofy sense of humor and not to mention a very famous voice.
Much like the Frozen frenzy, Finding Dory is expected to be a huge hit. People are predicting huge skyrockets in demand of everything from stuffed animals, clothing, décor and even Dory's real life species of Pacific Blue Tang fish. This pattern has shown itself in the past through Clown Fish after Finding Nemo, Dalmatians after 101 Dalmatians and many other animals that can be found in Disney movies. Some species can benefit from the popularity companies such as Disney can provide them. However, this increase in demand for these Blue Tang could be one of the worst things for the species.
Blue Tangs are a rather delicate and shy fish that do not breed in captivity. This means that they have to be captured in the wild in order to be sold as pets. They are taken from their natural habitats where they can breed and flourish and placed into tanks where they cannot reproduce and often have lesser lifespans.
Fish suppliers worldwide have stocked up on Blue Tangs in preparation for the Finding Dory release and as a result, wild populations have plummeted. As the demand for these fish grow, their species shrinks. Humans do enough damage with our selfish natures, so do we want to be responsible for killing off another species because we want to keep it in a tank in our home?
So here I am, one writer adding my voice to the conversation. Please listen up Disney, Disney viewers and fish owners. Purchase the Dory stuffed animals, t-shirts, phone cases, cups, hats and any other type of merchandise but do not purchase Blue Tangs. Your selfish desire to own your very own Dory could help seal the deal to the species going extinct. Is that worth it?
If you would like more information on this topic, follow this link to the article that inspired me. Also, if you want to add your voice to this conversation then sign the petition that is trying to get Disney to promote their viewers to not purchase Blue Tangs and promote education on the species. So far there are over 110,000 signatures and their goal is 120,000!
