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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)