231
taking into consideration the wealth of the ocean and its great potential for boosting
economic growth, employment and innovation.
This chapter explores the qualities of fish skin leather, a by-product of the food
industry and part of the ocean economy: its capacity for creating future employment
and innovation and its role in addressing the global challenges facing oceans.
Special attention is given to the new technologies used in fish skin production, their
potential for innovation and their contribution to addressing challenges such as
energy, environment and climate change.
The World Ocean Council (WOC) has been working to advance global ocean
business collaboration to develop industry-driven solutions to sustainable development. The Atlantic Leather fish skin tannery is playing an influential role in promoting sustainable practices, producing fish skin leather that implements sustainable
concepts, reducing environmental impacts and creating social value. Creating sustainable value chains within ocean and maritime industries is a key priority for the
Icelandic fishing sector. Since maritime technology has been developed in Iceland
and private companies have set more value on businesses supporting ocean sustainability than before, the concept of the blue economy has received increasing attention and interest (Hansen 2018).
Atlantic Leather works with fisheries with blue technology, which considers the
intersection of the economic benefits of the ocean, environmental health and societal value in policies and best practices (Hansen 2018) and exploits the harvested
raw material of fish skin to the maximum level within its value chain. By maximising the usage of fish skin, Atlantic Leather has added value within the fishing industry; the company’s efforts to utilise 100% of the raw material contribute to
maintaining fish stocks at biologically sustainable levels. Using the entire fish adds
to the value chain, benefitting fashion buyers as well as the fisheries themselves.
Since the benefits of 100% utilisation can be applied when the supplier or fishermen
are registered and connected within the value chain, this idea of 100% utilisation
helps reduce undocumented fisheries and overfishing.
The activities of Atlantic Leather which are most closely related to the relevant
SDG 14 targets are:
1. Reducing ocean acidification: Atlantic Leather reduces CO2 emissions by ceasing to throw fish skins into the ocean.
2. Regulating harvesting and ending overfishing and illegal unreported fishing
practices: 100% utilisation of fish raw materials is applied when the supplier or
fishermen are registered, and this helps to decrease undocumented fisheries and
overfishing.
3. Increasing economic benefits from the sustainable use of marine resources:
Atlantic Leather develops fish skin leather while preserving environmental biodiversity by sourcing from Nordic sustainably managed fish farming.
4. Providing access for small-scale artisanal fisheries to marine resources/markets:
Atlantic Leather promotes value-added profits within the value chain by creating
new job opportunities for coastal dwellers using a by-product of the fishing
industry to produce fish skin leather for the luxury fashion industry.
15 SDG 14 Life Below Water
taking into consideration the wealth of the ocean and its great potential for boosting
economic growth, employment and innovation.
This chapter explores the qualities of fish skin leather, a by-product of the food
industry and part of the ocean economy: its capacity for creating future employment
and innovation and its role in addressing the global challenges facing oceans.
Special attention is given to the new technologies used in fish skin production, their
potential for innovation and their contribution to addressing challenges such as
energy, environment and climate change.
The World Ocean Council (WOC) has been working to advance global ocean
business collaboration to develop industry-driven solutions to sustainable development. The Atlantic Leather fish skin tannery is playing an influential role in promoting sustainable practices, producing fish skin leather that implements sustainable
concepts, reducing environmental impacts and creating social value. Creating sustainable value chains within ocean and maritime industries is a key priority for the
Icelandic fishing sector. Since maritime technology has been developed in Iceland
and private companies have set more value on businesses supporting ocean sustainability than before, the concept of the blue economy has received increasing attention and interest (Hansen 2018).
Atlantic Leather works with fisheries with blue technology, which considers the
intersection of the economic benefits of the ocean, environmental health and societal value in policies and best practices (Hansen 2018) and exploits the harvested
raw material of fish skin to the maximum level within its value chain. By maximising the usage of fish skin, Atlantic Leather has added value within the fishing industry; the company’s efforts to utilise 100% of the raw material contribute to
maintaining fish stocks at biologically sustainable levels. Using the entire fish adds
to the value chain, benefitting fashion buyers as well as the fisheries themselves.
Since the benefits of 100% utilisation can be applied when the supplier or fishermen
are registered and connected within the value chain, this idea of 100% utilisation
helps reduce undocumented fisheries and overfishing.
The activities of Atlantic Leather which are most closely related to the relevant
SDG 14 targets are:
1. Reducing ocean acidification: Atlantic Leather reduces CO2 emissions by ceasing to throw fish skins into the ocean.
2. Regulating harvesting and ending overfishing and illegal unreported fishing
practices: 100% utilisation of fish raw materials is applied when the supplier or
fishermen are registered, and this helps to decrease undocumented fisheries and
overfishing.
3. Increasing economic benefits from the sustainable use of marine resources:
Atlantic Leather develops fish skin leather while preserving environmental biodiversity by sourcing from Nordic sustainably managed fish farming.
4. Providing access for small-scale artisanal fisheries to marine resources/markets:
Atlantic Leather promotes value-added profits within the value chain by creating
new job opportunities for coastal dwellers using a by-product of the fishing
industry to produce fish skin leather for the luxury fashion industry.
15 SDG 14 Life Below Water