230
15.1 Introduction
This chapter outlines the importance of fish skin, a by-product of the food industry,
as an innovative sustainable material for fashion. Fish skins are sourced from the
food industry, using waste and applying the principle of circular economy. None of
the fish used to make this alternative leather are farmed for their hides. They require
no extra land, water, fertilisers or pesticides to produce them, and they have low
environmental impact, unlike conventional leather (Jacobs 2018). The processing of
fish skin leather avoids throwing the fish skins into the ocean and can significantly
reduce marine pollution and sustainably protect marine ecosystems in order to
achieve healthy and productive oceans.
The Atlantic Leather tannery, located on the north coast of Iceland, has processed
fish leather since 1994, based on the ancient Icelandic tradition of making shoes
from the skins of catfish. It supports local economies by sourcing from sustainably
managed Nordic fish farming. The manufacturing of fish skin leather works with
three aspects of sustainability: the economic benefit of creating value from waste;
the social benefit of reconciling sustainability with fashionably exotic fish skin; and
the environmental benefit of producing skins without damaging biodiversity or
endangering animals.
The results presented in this study are based on the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goal 14, Life Below Water, and they highlight the opportunity to
develop fish skin leather as a key part of achieving sustainable development of the
ocean. SDG 14 deals with the conservation and sustainable management of the
oceans, seas and marine resources, and it is strongly connected with other SDGs, in
particular SDG 2 (ending hunger and achieving food security, improved nutrition
and sustainable agriculture) and SDG 12 (sustainable production and
consumption).
Fisheries and aquaculture make a crucial contribution to global food security,
nutrition and livelihoods, but overfishing, unsustainable seafood farming practices,
ocean pollution and acidification will threaten the future of seafood availability
worldwide.
The oceans are recognised as indispensable for addressing many of the global
challenges facing the planet, from food security and climate change to the provision
of energy and natural resources. The use of the sea and its resources for sustainable
economic development (blue economy), contributing to prosperity today and into
the future (WWF 2015), is expanding rapidly, but the oceans are under stress. They
are already overexploited, polluted and confronted with climate change. As carbon
emissions have risen over time, the ocean has absorbed much of the carbon dioxide,
leading to acidification. Sea temperatures and sea levels are rising, resulting in loss
of biodiversity and habitat and changes in fish stock composition. Future ocean
development is threatened by overfishing and depleted fish stocks in many parts of
the world (OECD 2016).
Atlantic Leather, an Icelandic fish skin tannery, uses the full potential of the
ocean by taking a responsible, sustainable approach during fish skin processing and
E. Palomino
15.1 Introduction
This chapter outlines the importance of fish skin, a by-product of the food industry,
as an innovative sustainable material for fashion. Fish skins are sourced from the
food industry, using waste and applying the principle of circular economy. None of
the fish used to make this alternative leather are farmed for their hides. They require
no extra land, water, fertilisers or pesticides to produce them, and they have low
environmental impact, unlike conventional leather (Jacobs 2018). The processing of
fish skin leather avoids throwing the fish skins into the ocean and can significantly
reduce marine pollution and sustainably protect marine ecosystems in order to
achieve healthy and productive oceans.
The Atlantic Leather tannery, located on the north coast of Iceland, has processed
fish leather since 1994, based on the ancient Icelandic tradition of making shoes
from the skins of catfish. It supports local economies by sourcing from sustainably
managed Nordic fish farming. The manufacturing of fish skin leather works with
three aspects of sustainability: the economic benefit of creating value from waste;
the social benefit of reconciling sustainability with fashionably exotic fish skin; and
the environmental benefit of producing skins without damaging biodiversity or
endangering animals.
The results presented in this study are based on the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goal 14, Life Below Water, and they highlight the opportunity to
develop fish skin leather as a key part of achieving sustainable development of the
ocean. SDG 14 deals with the conservation and sustainable management of the
oceans, seas and marine resources, and it is strongly connected with other SDGs, in
particular SDG 2 (ending hunger and achieving food security, improved nutrition
and sustainable agriculture) and SDG 12 (sustainable production and
consumption).
Fisheries and aquaculture make a crucial contribution to global food security,
nutrition and livelihoods, but overfishing, unsustainable seafood farming practices,
ocean pollution and acidification will threaten the future of seafood availability
worldwide.
The oceans are recognised as indispensable for addressing many of the global
challenges facing the planet, from food security and climate change to the provision
of energy and natural resources. The use of the sea and its resources for sustainable
economic development (blue economy), contributing to prosperity today and into
the future (WWF 2015), is expanding rapidly, but the oceans are under stress. They
are already overexploited, polluted and confronted with climate change. As carbon
emissions have risen over time, the ocean has absorbed much of the carbon dioxide,
leading to acidification. Sea temperatures and sea levels are rising, resulting in loss
of biodiversity and habitat and changes in fish stock composition. Future ocean
development is threatened by overfishing and depleted fish stocks in many parts of
the world (OECD 2016).
Atlantic Leather, an Icelandic fish skin tannery, uses the full potential of the
ocean by taking a responsible, sustainable approach during fish skin processing and
E. Palomino