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Scientists question ‘the Nemo effect’
Global reports suggest the 2003 film Finding Nemo led to a surge in purchases of clown fish. This has since become known as ‘the Nemo effect’.

Link between films and consumer demand ‘largely unfounded’ - study 

Researchers from the University of Oxford have challenged the idea that animal movies increase consumer demand for wildlife.

A new study, published in the journal Ambio, suggests the film Finding Dory had no impact on demand for blue tang fish, but online searches for that species did increase two to three weeks after the film’s release.

Researchers believe animal films can drive information-seeking behaviour and raise awareness of the natural world.

According to global reports, the 2003 film Finding Nemo led to a surge in purchases of clown fish, causing harm to animals and the environment. This has since become known as ‘the Nemo effect’.

Films and TV series featuring animals have long been said to influence consumer demand - from the 1996 film 101 Dalmatians, which is thought to have increased the popularity of Dalmatians, to films such as Harry Potter and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which are believed to have led to a spike in purchases of owls and terrapins respectively.

There have also been reports of a rise in ‘wolf type’ dog breeds following Game of Thrones and Twilight.

However, the team from Oxford said the Nemo effect is ‘largely unfounded’. Researchers looked at data on online search patterns from the GoogleTrends platform, compared to fish purchase data from a major US importer of ornamental fish and visitation data from 20 aquaria across the US.

They said they found ‘no substantial evidence’ of an increase in imports of blue tang fish to the US, or the number of visitors to US aquaria.

Lead researcher Diogo Verissimo said: “My research looks at demand for wildlife in multiple contexts. As such I was intrigued as to whether the connection between these blockbusters and demand for wildlife was as straight-forward as had been described in the media. My experience is that human behaviour is hard to influence, particularly at scale and it seemed unlikely that movies like Finding Nemo, Finding Dory and the Harry Potter series indeed generated spikes in demand for the species they feature.

“Our results suggest that the impact of movies is limited when it comes to the large-scale buying of animals. There is, however, a clear effect in terms of information-seeking which means that the media does play an important role in making wildlife and nature conservation more salient. This is particularly the case for animation movies which are viewed by a much more diverse group of people than, for example, nature documentaries.”

BVA response

Commenting on the study findings, BVA junior vice president Daniella Dos Santos said: “This research presents interesting findings on the limited negative impact of popular films featuring wild animals on consumer behaviour. One of the top concerns for vets working with exotic species is a lack of owner awareness about their exacting welfare needs, so it is good that such films are playing a positive role in raising awareness about lesser-known wildlife.
 
“However, we are aware from similar studies on companion animals that there is a correlation between the popularity of certain species or breeds and their portrayal in films, which can also have the effect of normalising poor health and welfare issues. Our own survey has found that vets believe that media, including social media and advertising, plays a vital role in influencing clients when it comes to flat-faced dogs.
 
“Our key message for anyone looking to get a pet is to always talk to a vet for advice on the animal’s health and welfare needs.”

 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.