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(Imitates fishing cat)

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That's my impersonation of a fishing cat,

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which actually sounds more like this.

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(Prerecorded fishing cat sounds)

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It's a cat that loves water,

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loves to fish,

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and lives in some of the most unique
and valuable ecosystems on earth:

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the wetlands and mangrove forests
of South and Southeast Asia.

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Aren't they fishing awesome?

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(Laughter)

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Fishing cats are one
of about 40 species of wildcats.

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Like tigers and lions, only much smaller.

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They're probably around twice the size
of our average domestic cat.

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In Indonesia,

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people call them "kucing bakau,"

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which literally translates
to "the cat of the mangroves."

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But I like to call them
the tigers of the mangroves.

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Now, we don't know fishing cats
as well as we do tigers,

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but what we've learned is that these cats
can be a flagship species

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to a globally important ecosystem,

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and a visual bait attached
to a strong line for conservation.

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Are you hooked yet?

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(Laughter)

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Like many endangered species,

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fishing cats are threatened
by habitat loss,

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mainly because of our international demand
for farmed fish and shrimp,

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and the deforestation
of nearly half the historic mangrove cover

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in South and Southeast Asia.

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Mangroves, on the other hand,

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are much more than just habitat
to the fishing cat.

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They are home to a fantastic
array of species,

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like jackals,

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turtles,

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shorebirds

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and otters.

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(Laughter)

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Mangroves also prevent soil erosion,

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and they can be the first line of defense
between storm surges, tsunamis

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and the millions of people
who live next to these forests

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for their day-to-day survival.

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The fact that puts
the icing on the cake --

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or the earth, I should say --

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is that mangroves can store

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upwards of five to ten times
more carbon dioxide

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than tropical forests.

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So protecting one acre of mangroves

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may well be like protecting five
or more acres of tropical forests.

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Would you like to eliminate
you entire life's carbon footprint?

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Well, mangroves can offer you

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one of the best bangs
for your conservation buck.

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Deforestation, extinction
and climate change

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are all global problems that we can solve

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by giving value
to our species and ecosystems

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and by working together
with the local people

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who live next to them.

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This is one of three river deltas
in coastal South India

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where communities came together

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to change the face and potentially,
the fate of this planet.

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In less than a decade,

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with international support,

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the state forest departments
and the local communities

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worked together to restore

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over 20,000 acres
of unproductive fish and shrimp farms

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back into mangroves.

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About five years ago,

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guess who we discovered
in these restored mangroves?

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When we shared images
of these fishing cats with local people,

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we were able to build pride among them

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about a globally revered
endangered species and ecosystem

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in their backyards.

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We were also able to build trust
with some people

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to help them lead alternative livelihoods.

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Meet Santosh, a 19-year-old boy

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who not only became
a conservation professional

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after working with us
for just over a year,

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but also went on to involve
many local fishermen

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in helping study and protect fishing cats.

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Meet Moshi, a tribal poacher,

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who not only stopped hunting

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and became our most
prized conservationist,

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but also used his traditional knowledge

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to educate his entire community
to stop hunting fishing cats, otters,

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and the many other threatened species

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that live in the mangroves
in his backyard.

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Fish and shrimp farmers, like Venkat,

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are now willing to work
with us conservationists

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to test the sustainable harvest
of ecosystem services like crabs,

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and possibly even honey, for mangroves.

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Incentives that could get them
to protect and plant mangroves

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where they have been lost.

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A win-win-win

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for fishing cats, local people,
and the global community.

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These stories show us
that we can all be part of a future

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where fishing cats
and the lost mangrove forests

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are protected and restored
by fishermen themselves,

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creating carbon sinks

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that can help offset
our ecological footprints.

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So while the fishing cat may be small,

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I hope that we've been able
to help make it a big deal.

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One that we can all invest in

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to help sustain our lives
on earth a little longer.

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Or as our friend here would say ...

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(Prerecorded fishing cat sounds)

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Thank you.

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(Applause)