Rarity + Snobbery = Increased Demand

Check out some research that was presented (that I unfortunately did not get to see) at the Society for Conservation Biology conference in Chattanooga, TN. Here is what the scientist did: he gave consumers the option of eating caviar from a "rare" species of sturgeon or a "common" species of sturgeon. Most consumers, even before trying it, imagined they would like the "rare" eggs best. After eating it, 70% of consumers preferred the "rare" species. But here's the kicker: all the caviar was from farmed sturgeon. This means that certain rare species that are desired in luxury markets--probably animals like sharks and seahorses-- might be forced into an "extinction vortex". It also means that consumers are again likely be very bad at self-regulating since it is not the average consumer (but the luxury one) making the demands...