http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finding_Nemo#Environmental_concerns_and_consequences
Environmental concerns and consequences
The film’s use of clownfish prompted mass purchase of the fish breed as pets in the United States, even though the story portrayed the use of fish as pets negatively and suggested that saltwater aquariums are notably tricky and expensive to maintain.[58] The demand for clownfish was supplied by large-scale harvesting of tropical fish in regions like Vanuatu.[59] The Australian Tourism Commission (ATC) launched several marketing campaigns in China and the United States to improve tourism in Australia, many of them utilizing Finding Nemo clips.[60][61]Queensland used Finding Nemo to draw tourists to promote its state for vacationers.[62] According to National Geographic, “Ironically, Finding Nemo, a movie about the anguish of a captured clownfish, caused home-aquarium demand for them to triple.”[63]
The reaction to the film by the general public has led to environmental devastation for the clownfish, and has provoked an outcry from several environmental protection agencies, including the Marine Aquarium Council, Australia. The demand for tropical fish skyrocketed after the film’s release, causing reef species decimation in Vanuatu and many other reef areas.[64] After seeing the film, some aquarium owners released their pet fish into the ocean, but failed to release them into the correct oceanic habitat, which introduced species that are harmful to the indigenous environment, a practice that is harming reefs worldwide.
