Cyanide used to hook Dory, Nemo for pet stores, scientists warn

The movie Finding Dory is entertaining kids everywhere but worrying others.

Scientists and environmentalists are urging consumers to stay away from buying a Dory, or blue tang fish, as pets because some are caught with an illegal fishing technique using cyanide.

"They put a small amount of it into a squeeze bottle and then go down to the reef," Lee Newman, tropical waters curator at the Vancouver Aquarium said.

"The squeeze bottle fills with seawater and mixes the cyanide up. Then they squirt it into the nooks and crannies of the reef where the fish hide."

Newman said this works as an anesthetic, which makes it easy for humans to reach into the reef and grab the sluggish fish. But the method also affects the other organisms, as well as the reef itself, and can kill the blue tang in the area.

"One of the side effects is it destroys the gut lining of the stomach of the fish," Newman said. "So while, in your home aquarium they eat ravenously, as they should, they continually lose weight until they die."

The Nemo effect

People get attached to characters they see in movies and want one for their own, which Newman called the "Nemo effect."

But the Dorys and Nemos (blue tangs and clownfish) are saltwater fish, which are not as easy to care for as freshwater fish.

"It's not the type of fish you can just pick up a bowl, fill it with tap water and add the Dory," Newman said. "They require very complex husbandry and equipment. It's very involved."

Henry Wasserman, who owns Bird Shop and Aquariums in Winnipeg, has seen the Nemo effect first hand.

When Finding Nemo came out 13 years ago, he had more people coming in to buy clownfish. Now, with the movie's sequel out, Wasserman is anticipating a similar wave of consumers.

He only has one blue tang at his store, but is getting more to meet the expected demand. However, he urges families to seriously consider taking on saltwater fish before they buy.

"We try to discourage people from impulse buying of any kind," Wasserman said. "We interview them almost. We see how much patience they have for the whole family, not just a little kid."

Wasserman said he's known about the cyanide collecting method for more than 20 years. It might be unethical to bring in more blue tang considering how some are collected, but he said as long as you know your supplier, you should be OK.

"Stick to regular suppliers who you always get good quality fish from," he said.

"In turn, they would also deal with their suppliers or collectors. Over the years, you can establish a good network."