Thirty years ago, crayfish were little more than a nuisance for the rice farmers of eastern and central China, but the invasive species has become big business for one city.

30年前，对于中国东部和中部的稻农来说，小龙虾是一个公害。然而，这个入侵的物种已经成为了一座城市的主要产业。

Nearly two of three crayfish eaten in Europe hail from the small town of Qianjiang in Hubei Province. Qianjiang sold $190 million worth of the crustacean¹ to foreign buyers in 2015, up 27 percent year-on-year, becoming the country's largest crayfish export base.

出口到欧洲的龙虾，约有三分之二来自于湖北省潜江市这个小城市。潜江市2015年出口的小龙虾价值约1.9亿美元，同比增长27%，成为中国最大的小龙虾出口基地。

To sharpen its edge in the industry, the town set up a research institute dedicated² to breeding crayfish in mid-June, shortly after it opened a vocational school to train cooks in preparing crayfish dishes.

潜江市开了一家职业学校专门培训烹饪小龙虾的厨师，不久之后的6月中旬，该市又建立了一个小龙虾养殖中心，以增强其产业优势。

China is the world's largest producer of crayfish, with annual output accounting³ for over 70 percent of the world's total. Native to North America, crayfish were brought to east China's Jiangsu Province by a Japanese merchant in the 1920s. They appeared in the Jianghan Plain, where Qianjiang is located, about 30 years ago. With fertile land and a large network of rivers and lakes, the plain is an ideal habitat for the species.

中国是世界是最大的小龙虾产地，年出口量占全球总份额的70%。小龙虾原产北美洲，上世纪20年代，一位日本商人将其引入到了中国江苏省。约30年前，小龙虾出现在了江汉平原，而这里正是潜江市所在地。凭借肥沃的土地和大型的河流湖泊网络，江汉平原成了小龙虾的理想栖息地。

They weren't always a welcome addition to the ecosystem⁴, especially for local farmers. "They pinched off rice seedlings⁵ in the paddy fields, and made tunnels in ridges⁶ that caused water loss," said Liu Zhuquan from Baowan Village in Qianjiang.

除了生态系统外，他们并非总是如此的受欢迎，尤其是对于当地农民来说。潜江市宝湾村村民刘朱全说，“他们咬断田里的水稻苗，在垄上打洞使得水分流失。”

Later, however, villagers came to find the shellfish tasty and started raising them in the paddies in 2001.

不过，后来，人们发现这种甲壳类动物很美味，于是，自2001年就开始在稻田里养殖。

Liu said this summer his crayfish have sold for 60 yuan (about $9) per kilogram, while his rice goes for 32 yuan a kilogram -- both much higher than prices elsewhere.

刘朱全表示，今年夏天他的小龙虾卖到了60元（约9美元）一公斤，而他的大米卖32元一公斤--二者的价格都比其他地方的要高。

Farming crayfish and rice simultaneously⁷ does not require chemical fertilizers, pesticides⁸ or result in contaminated water, ensuring safe products. Green farming methods help improve the quality of both crayfish and rice, according to Jiang Youyu, head of Qianjiang's crayfish farming association.

潜江小龙虾养殖协会负责人江有玉介绍，养殖小龙虾和种大米，都不需要化肥、杀虫剂，也不会污染水源，保证了产品的安全。绿色农业技术又帮助提高了二者的质量。

E-commerce has helped expand the domestic market for Qianjiang crayfish, with revenue from online sales exceeding 100 million yuan last year. Spicy⁹ crayfish dishes are popular across the country to pair with beer on summer nights.

电子商务平台帮助潜江小龙虾扩大了国内市场业务，去年网络平台的营收超过了1亿元。中国各地都非常流行麻辣小龙虾配上啤酒作夜宵。