Federal authorities are considering new regulations to rid the ocean of more pollutants as a means of saving the orange clownfish made famous in the Disney movie “Finding Nemo.”
The National Marine Fisheries Service said it’s mulling protections due in part to a threat of lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity, which petitioned the agency to list the fish as endangered or threatened in 2012, The Hill reported.
“Finding Nemo is getting even more difficult — global warming and acidifying oceans are destroying the coral reefs the clownfish calls home,” Shaye Wolf, climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told The Hill. “Endangered Species Act protection and meaningful action to put the brakes on greenhouse gas pollution will help make sure these beautiful fish survive in the wild and not just [in] a movie.”
The orange clownfish is at particular risk from carbon dioxide in the water, the environmental activist group said.
The public has 60 days to comment on the NMFS-proposed protections.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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