The link between fishing cats and mangrove forest conservation | Ashwin Naidu

翻译人员: Lipeng Chen 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

(Imitates fishing cat)

（模仿渔猫）

That's my impersonation of a fishing cat,

这是我在模仿渔猫，

which actually sounds more like this.

其实听起来更像是这样。

(Prerecorded fishing cat sounds)

（预先录制的渔猫叫声）

It's a cat that loves water,

这是种喜爱水，

loves to fish,

爱捕鱼的猫，

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

并且这种猫还生活在地球上 最独特和最重要的生态系统之中：

the wetlands and mangrove forests of South and Southeast Asia.

南亚和东南亚的湿地和红树林。

Aren't they fishing awesome?

它们捕鱼是不是很酷？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Fishing cats are one of about 40 species of wildcats.

渔猫是 40 种野生猫类之一。

Like tigers and lions, only much smaller.

就像是狮子和老虎，只是更小一些。

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

它们大概是普通家猫的两倍大小。

In Indonesia,

在印度尼西亚，

people call them "kucing bakau,"

人们称它们为“ kucing bakau”，

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

直译就是“红树林之猫”。

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

但是我喜欢叫它们红树林之虎。

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

虽然我们对渔猫的了解 不像对老虎那样多，

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

但是我们知道的是这种猫 对一个具有全球重要性的生态系统

to a globally important ecosystem,

来说是个旗舰物种，

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

并且还是和保护息息相关的视觉诱饵。

Are you hooked yet?

你们上钩了吗？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Like many endangered species,

就像许多濒危物种，

fishing cats are threatened by habitat loss,

渔猫受到栖息地减少的威胁，

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

这主要是由于我们对于 饲养鱼类和虾类的全球性需求，

and the deforestation of nearly half the historic mangrove cover

以及覆盖南亚和东南亚 近半数古老红树林的

in South and Southeast Asia.

森林砍伐。

Mangroves, on the other hand,

另一方面，红树林

are much more than just habitat to the fishing cat.

远远不止是渔猫的栖息地。

They are home to a fantastic array of species,

它们还是一系列神奇生物的家园，

like jackals,

像是胡狼、

turtles,

海龟、

shorebirds

水鸟

and otters.

以及水獭。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Mangroves also prevent soil erosion,

红树林还防止了水土流失，

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

它们还可以作为风暴、海啸

and the millions of people who live next to these forests

以及在周边生活的人们的

for their day-to-day survival.

第一道防线。

The fact that puts the icing on the cake --

还有一件事能锦上添花——

or the earth, I should say --

或是说在地球上添花——

is that mangroves can store

是相较于热带雨林，

upwards of five to ten times more carbon dioxide

红树林可以多储存五倍到十倍的

than tropical forests.

二氧化碳。

So protecting one acre of mangroves

所以保护一英亩的红树林

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

就相当于保护了超过五英亩的热带雨林。

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

你们想要消除一生的碳足迹吗？

Well, mangroves can offer you

那么，红树林可以提供给你

one of the best bangs for your conservation buck.

最超值的保护选择。

Deforestation, extinction and climate change

森林砍伐、物种灭绝以及气候变暖

are all global problems that we can solve

都是我们可以解决的全球性问题，

by giving value to our species and ecosystems

只要我们赋予物种和生态系统价值，

and by working together with the local people

并且和生活在它们周围的当地居民

who live next to them.

紧密合作。

This is one of three river deltas in coastal South India

这是印度南部海岸的 三个河流三角洲之一，

where communities came together

那里的居民正在共同行动，

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

改变地球的样貌， 可能也会改变地球的命运。

In less than a decade,

有了全球的支持，

with international support,

在十年之内，

the state forest departments and the local communities

国家林业部门和当地的群体

worked together to restore

一同努力合作，

over 20,000 acres of unproductive fish and shrimp farms

将超过 20000 英亩 贫瘠的鱼虾养殖场

back into mangroves.

重新变成了红树林。

About five years ago,

大约五年前，

guess who we discovered in these restored mangroves?

猜猜我们在这些 被恢复的红树林里发现了什么？

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

当我们和当地居民分享 这些渔猫的图片时，

we were able to build pride among them

我们成功的让他们为

about a globally revered endangered species and ecosystem

周围这片受到了全球关注 的濒危物种和生态系统

in their backyards.

感到骄傲。

We were also able to build trust with some people

我们还成功赢得了一些人的信任，

to help them lead alternative livelihoods.

帮助他们用另一种方式生活。

Meet Santosh, a 19-year-old boy

来见见桑托西，这个 19 岁的男孩

who not only became a conservation professional

不仅仅在和我们工作了一年多之后

after working with us for just over a year

变成了职业保护人士，

but also went on to involve many local fishermen

还将许多当地的渔民带入到

in helping study and protect fishing cats.

帮助研究和保护渔猫的队伍中来。

Meet Moshi, a tribal poacher,

来见见莫西，他曾是部落的盗猎者，

who not only stopped hunting

现在不仅仅停止了猎杀，

and became our most prized conservationist,

变成了我们最重要的保护人士，

but also used his traditional knowledge

而且他还利用了他的传统知识

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

来教育他所处的整个群体 停止猎杀生活在他周围的

and the many other threatened species

渔猫、水獭以及

that live in the mangroves in his backyard.

许多其他的濒危物种。

Fish and shrimp farmers, like Venkat,

像是冯卡特这样的鱼虾养殖户，

are now willing to work with us conservationists

现在愿意与我们这些 保护人士合作，

to test the sustainable harvest of ecosystem services like crabs,

针对红树林里面 诸如蟹类，甚至是蜂蜜的

and possibly even honey, from mangroves.

生态系统可持续收获进行检测。

Incentives that could get them to protect and plant mangroves

激励可以使得渔民保护和种植

where they have been lost.

已经消逝的红树林。

A win-win-win

这是个三方的共赢，

for fishing cats, local people and the global community.

即渔猫、当地居民以及全世界。

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

这些故事告诉我们，人人都可以 为这样的未来贡献一份力量，

where fishing cats and the lost mangrove forests

到那时，渔猫和消逝的红树林

are protected and restored by fishermen themselves,

都会被渔民自己保护和恢复，

creating carbon sinks

创建出碳汇，

that can help offset our ecological footprints.

帮助消减我们的生态足印。

So while the fishing cat may be small,

所以尽管渔猫可能很小，

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

但我希望我们可以 将保护渔猫重视起来。

One that we can all invest in

我们所有人都可以投入其中，

to help sustain our lives on earth a little longer.

来帮助我们在地球上继续繁衍生息。

Or as our friend here would say ...

或者就像我们这里的朋友会说……

(Prerecorded fishing cat sounds)

（预先录制的渔猫叫声）

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）