You ask some good questions.

I think one of the biggest problems with getting good Perl programmers certainly has to be the perception of Perl in the marketplace, as has been mentioned before.  I also tend to find that a lot of recruiters are uninformed (at least the ones that contact me!).  For example, I got this description from a recruiter who called me "out of the blue" on Friday (and unaware that I had been happily working at a job for the past year where I can use Perl for almost everything I do):

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE: 5+ years software development experience with PERL
Scripting, Java development and SQL Databases (ideally Oracle).  J2EE 
+a
strong plus.

EDUCATION: BS / MS degree in Computer Science.
[download]

(It then goes on to give the usual buzzwords about creative thinker, fully understanding the clients' business objectives, applying appropriate solutions, problem solver with high attention to detail, ability to work collaboratively with all members of the organization, etc., etc.  Just once I want to see a requirement for a problem solver with a medium attention to detail, or someone who can understand a high percentage of the clients' business objectives!)

Now, this is a recruiter who knows full well that I'm not a Java programmer.  Yet, not only is Java the second requirement, but the first is PERL, and what's worse, it's PERL scripting, which sounds about as far away from programming as you can get.  (One manager I had actually referred to Perl as "CGI", but then he was the one who suggested that the web-based bug-tracking system that I wrote in Perl would have been easier to do with "sed".)  I think it's also very telling that they want someone who's got an MS in computer science, but 5+ years is plenty of experience.  Who really has much experience after 5 years?

And then, when I thought there wasn't any good company that respected good Perl programmers, I discovered the job I have now, and found it a "breath of fresh air".  It may have to do partly with the fact that our product is based on open source technology.  Or perhaps it's because fine Perl programmers are highly valued.  But whatever the reasons, there are clearly places where good programmers are respected, even if they don't program in Java, C#, and so forth.