中国小龙虾之乡——潜江市的崛起
导读:30年前，对于中国东部和中部的稻农来说，小龙虾可是一个公害。然而，这个入侵的物种却成就了湖北省的一个小城市——该市依靠小龙虾做起了大生意。
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，这个入侵的物种却成就了一个城市——该市依靠小龙虾做起了大生意。
Nearly two of three crayfish eaten in Europe hail from the small town of Qianjiang in Hubei Province. In late May, Qianjiang announced it sold $190 million worth of the crustacean 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这个小城市。5月底，潜江市表示，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 dedicated 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 accounting for over 70 percent of the world’s total.
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%。
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.
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，正是潜江市所在地。
With fertile land and a large network of rivers and lakes, the plain is an ideal habitat for the species.
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 ecosystem, especially for local farmers.
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。
"They pinched off rice seedlings in the paddy fields, and made tunnels in ridges that caused water loss," said Liu Zhuquan from Baowan Village in Qianjiang.
潜江宝湾村村发刘朱全说，“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.
刘说，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 simultaneously does not require chemical fertilizers, pesticides 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。
Wang Pinghu from Bao’an Village said he used to earn about 60,000 yuan from his four hectares of rice a year, but his income surged to 250,000 yuan after he started raising crayfish in 2014.
宝湾村的王平虎说，往年他10公顷的水稻年收入约为6万元，不过，自2014年改为养殖小龙虾以来，他的年收入飙升到25万元。
Around 80 percent of crayfish produced in Qianjiang were exported to Europe and the United States as pre-cooked food products.
潜江产的小龙虾约有80%出口到欧美地区，都是卤好可以直接吃的。
Two Qianjiang-based companies, Laker and Huashan, are exempt from local quality checks and may send their crayfish pr oducts directly to supermarkets in Europe and the United States.
潜江的莱克公司、华山公司享受当地免检待遇，可以直接将小龙虾出口到欧美的超市。
"In the past, we sent technicians abroad to learn about European people’s taste. Now we pay top dollar to get European chefs to work in Qianjiang," said Zheng Zhonglong, general manager of Hubei Laker Group.
“过去，我们派技术人员到国外去考察欧洲人的口味。现在，我们花高价请欧洲的大厨到潜江来工作。”湖北莱克集团总经理郑中龙说。
In addition to edible crayfish, Huashan Aquatic Food Company also exports chitin, a versatile substance used in medicine, health food and cosmetics. It is extracted from the exoskeletons of crayfish. The exoskeleton accounts for most of the animal’s body, and only 20 percent of it is edible.
除了可食用的部分，华山水产食品公司还出口甲壳素，这是一种可于医疗、保健品和化妆品上的多用途物质。它是从小龙虾的壳里提取出来的。外壳占了其身体的大部分，仅有20%是可食用的。
E-commerce has helped expand the domestic market for Qianjiang crayfish, with revenue from online sales exceeding 100 million yuan last year. Spicy crayfish dishes are popular across the country to pair with beer on summer nights.
电子商务平台也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。中国各地都很流行麻辣小龙虾配上啤酒作夜宵。
There is still work to be done to improve the industry. One pressing task is to improve crayfish breeds to prevent inbreeding, said Shu Yaxin with Hubei’s fisheries research institute.
湖北渔业研究所的舒亚馨表示，要提升这个产业仍有许多工作要做。当前一个紧迫的任务是改善小龙虾的种类避免近亲繁殖。
