There's a side to this that I don't think has been considered in this thread.

Let's say you've got Ungo out there in Africa. He's poor, got 7 kids, 3 wives and no job. He used to be a farmer but he couldn't make a go of it what with weather and bandits and lazy wives.

However, he CAN make a decent living by putting his kids and wives to work catching baby ball pythons once the hatch and the adults when no babies are available. He can get more for one snake, maybe only a dollar and probably less, than he used to make in an entire week of work. Work which no matter what happens with the bally python import market he can no longer do.

Ungo likes to eat. He likes his wives fat and his children quiet. He likes it enough that he brings in snakes, not that he catches them himself he's a business man now and doesn't like getting dirty anymore, that his fat wives and quiet children have gone out and gotten even when there is no order for those snakes. In fact, he has set up little chicken wire cages to keep the snakes in until he has enough to make a trip to the city worth while.

If Ungo no longer sells snakes his wives get skinny and mean and his children cry and become annoyances instead of the money making joys he has so come to appreciate. Not only that, but if there are no snakes to sell, Ungo must either starve himself or find other work, work that would get his hands dirty and take all his time. Ungo does not want to do this.

Ungo has hundreds if not thousands of counterparts.

Until there are no more wild ball pythons there will be wild caught available.

Ungo will see to it.