Dang Stlhead, I think that you're onto something. Much like the export/posession of rhino horns and tiger scrotums has been made illegal in an effort to stop African poaching. Isn't some caviar illegal? And I think some shark finning is now illegal. All similar practices - wasting an endangered animal for some little trinket.

But, yes, prying the "gold" from the fingers of them that has it is the trick, eh? But you have to start somewhere.