The villagers say Hani farmers fell in love with crayfish after a small number of the crustaceans were imported from Jiangsu province several years ago. The crayfish, which were intended as a food source, were introduced to fields with adequate water to ensure their survival, but their numbers expanded so rapidly that the rice terraces sustained enormous damage.

"The prefecture recognized the problem and invested 1 million yuan ($163,000) to eradicate the crayfish. Those we caught certainly weren't worth 1 million yuan, but our goal is to maintain the environment in accordance with the natural order," said Wu Hao, director of the publicity department of Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture.

Yang Fusheng, head of the prefecture, said the crayfish were eradicated to prevent further damage to the terraces and the traditional way of life.

Wu said, "Our purpose was not to make money from the Hani terraces. Instead, we wanted to protect them in line with international standards. Many people congratulated me when the terraces were declared a world heritage site, but there was pressure to avoid any action that would damage them. We realized that some of the Hani who had abandoned the terraces lacked awareness about protecting their culture, so the rules set by the government are essential."

(China Daily USA 07/26/2013 page6)