Sigh. Want to conserve anything? Make it profitable.
I'm of the opinion that pragmatism hasn't been seen in this sphere since at least when I was a child... even then I wondered why these bans were so stubbornly adhered to when, in effect, they DROVE demand for the very thing they were trying to protect.
Then again, I'm constantly surprised on a daily basis how few people actually understand even the basics of economics.
To whit: These guys are unwittingly following the "De Beers plan" to driving demand.
"Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground, Silly monkeys, give them thumbs, they make a club and beat their brother down. How they survive, so misguided, is a mystery. Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability to lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here" - Tool