Mediating ethical considerations in the conservation and sustainable biocommerce of the jewels of the rainforest

Abstract Threats to biodiversity have necessitated the implementation of timely conservation strategies. Negative anthropogenic impacts on species classically include habitat modification, fragmentation or loss. However in addition to these some species face additional risks such as those associated with (illegal) unsustainable harvests related to private collection, trade and commerce. Although commerce in plants and animals has a long history, recent findings suggest that online networking enhances connectivity between wildlife vendors and collectors, and can catalyze demand. In recent years conservation organizations have turned to biocommerce to offer legal and sustainable alternatives to smuggled or wild collected species. Here we provide a compendium of considerations related to the ethics and application of biocommerce in wildlife using case studies of two highly collected groups of tropical organisms; neotropical orchids and poison frogs. While we are in favor of biocommerce due to benefits such as the potential to mitigate unsustainable wildlife trade and provide funding for conservation programs, we also feel it is timely to provide an important overview detailing historical shortcomings in sustainability, and attempt to provide an ethical compass facilitating the future fusion of conservation and exotic hobbies.