Data from: Can sustainable biocommerce continue to support conservation, or will the captive breeding of offspring be its Achilles heel?

The trade in high-value natural resources, particularly exotic plants and
animals (henceforth biocommerce), can lead to both positive and negative
impacts on wild populations. The exotic plant and animal hobbies are
highly organized with internal cultures that are often poorly understood
by non-members; however, understanding them is of central importance for
biocommerce with both direct and indirect consequences for the
conservation of wild populations. Growing international demands for exotic
species leaves simple questions related to the economics of biocommerce
unexplored.  The long-term success of biocommerce businesses
requires constant income, meaning they obtain and retain significant
market proportions.  Some biocommerce products can be reproduced
by hobbyists, and undercut business efforts based on sustainably produced
exports. We analyze a test case in Neotropical poison frogs where
sustainable biocommerce is burgeoning, yet (export-based) businesses face
direct market competition from the offspring produced within the countries
which receive their exports, and therefore are forced to rely on fervent
customer support.  We survey customers’ behaviors where we find
different classes of consumers, which differ in where they place higher
values within the hobby. By taking into account these different classes we
gain insights and potential solutions to promote the stability of this
unique type of biocommerce.