Oh yeah. We've had that discussion a few times on here.
For your paper, I prefer captive bred as pets for a few reasons.
1. Significantly less chance of disease. Most wild caught reptiles have picked up diseases or parasites somewhere along the line. That's why you always, always quarantine new animals.
2. Captive bred usually means hand raised and used to people. This is beneficial for a pet owner because they are a bit less skittish, less nervous. They may have fewer stress-related health problems because of that, and they may take to a new human keeper marginally quicker.
3. Wild species, in my opinion, really should stay in the wild as much as possible. Extensive hunting and pet fads have decimated many species. If you are able to successfully breed them in captivity, especially in large numbers, people who want them as pets or food (not so weird in many countries) have readily available numbers without sending the species to the brink of extinction.
Some downsides:
1. Captive bred are much more expensive, as a general rule. (Actually this is a pro for me, too, as it would discourage many impulse buyers.)
2. Not all breeders are reputable. Some just want money. They may not be careful with bloodlines, or they may not care for them right as infants. That means you could face some serious problems with illnesses down the line.
I think that's more or less my view on it. Keep in mind that not all species breed easily in captivity, so it would make the pet trade on exotics difficult if only captive bred were available. On the other hand, I personally find that a plus, given how many people buy large or dangerous reptiles without realizing how much care is involved and end up killing them or releasing them into the wild.
