Again, I totally disagree with you on the cost of AC fish vs. Wild.
The clownfish market is a prime example. The cost to purchase a box lot of plain ORA Ocellaris is far less than a box lot of wild caught. Big name pet stores (PetCo) no longer bring in anything but ORA clowns. The quanitity and quality of those fish are far superior to wild sources. Plus the store price reflects that they are plentiful.
The only limiting factor for AC fish is the variety. ORA is doing an amazing job of bringing new species of highly desired ornamental fish into the AC market.
And again, if a local clownfish breeder wanted to be a constant supply of fish, the LFS would rip them off...
clowns are one of those fish which have been bred for quite awhile, and can be bred in a steady supply. there are even home breeders and a high school in japan that breeds clownfish so yes, it can be done.
If its indeed the case that ORA clowns are cheaper than wild caught, that would be a fantastic thing. I can't comment on this as I am not familiar with the US market.
In indonesia and the philippines, there are some AC facilities but mainly they are selling wild caught fish. I would love to see them convert more towards AC and attempt breeding (they would be able to try given the variety of ornamental species locally available). If it is indeed more profitable I don't see why they haven't started en masse.
Its still a fact that most fish we see in aquariums are wild caught.