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15.3.3.1 Creation of New Job Opportunities for Coastal Dwellers
Since the ninth century, Icelanders have derived vitality and stamina from fish.
Atlantic Leather has propelled a Nordic tradition to increase the utilisation and
value from fish waste to create fish leather and in so doing create new job opportunities, especially for coastal dwellers.
The Atlantic Leather tannery sits in a thriving community on the North East
coast of the island – inhabited by fewer than 3000 people – with fishing grounds
located just off-shore. Such proximity to the source means that transportation to the
point of manufacture is significantly reduced; it also presents the innovation that the
tannery only uses waste fish skins from food consumption.
Atlantic Leather creates blue tech and blue jobs in a remote coastal area promoting a sustainable ocean industry. A key challenge for these coastal areas is to maintain the viability of the fisheries sector and to attract young people to work in it.
Atlantic Leather aims to preserve the rich cultural traditions that have been developed within the Icelandic fishing industry when processing their fish leather.
Fish leather is also benefiting other sectors, such as tourism. In 2014, Atlantic
Leather – Iceland’s last remaining tannery – opened a museum for tourists. The
museum recreates the traditional and contemporary tanning process of fish leather
and displays historical photos and implements (Deliso 2015).
15.4 Methodology
15.4.1 Study Methodology
The aim of this case study is to explore the link between sustainable materials (fish
skin, a by-product of the fish industry, as a new raw material for fashion) and transferring the intangible heritage skills of fish skin craft from Arctic ethnic minorities
to higher education fashion students from Nordic universities.
The literature review highlighted that in Iceland, as in many other countries
around the world, better utilisation of marine resources is being widely called for.
There is well-documented support for the Icelandic commitment to a sustainable
seafood sector and a reduction of seafood waste.
To reflect upon the interaction of fish skin using traditional craft techniques,
bibliographic and documentary research was initially done:
• Enquiry [Theory]. Following the workshop (see Chap. 5), data was collected
through primary and secondary sources to reveal areas of potential
development.
• Contextual and visual analysis.
• Making [Practice]. Higher education students produced fish skin samples in collaboration with an Arctic ethnic minority craftsperson. Photographic documentation was used for the illustration and classification of results.
15 SDG 14 Life Below Water
15.3.3.1 Creation of New Job Opportunities for Coastal Dwellers
Since the ninth century, Icelanders have derived vitality and stamina from fish.
Atlantic Leather has propelled a Nordic tradition to increase the utilisation and
value from fish waste to create fish leather and in so doing create new job opportunities, especially for coastal dwellers.
The Atlantic Leather tannery sits in a thriving community on the North East
coast of the island – inhabited by fewer than 3000 people – with fishing grounds
located just off-shore. Such proximity to the source means that transportation to the
point of manufacture is significantly reduced; it also presents the innovation that the
tannery only uses waste fish skins from food consumption.
Atlantic Leather creates blue tech and blue jobs in a remote coastal area promoting a sustainable ocean industry. A key challenge for these coastal areas is to maintain the viability of the fisheries sector and to attract young people to work in it.
Atlantic Leather aims to preserve the rich cultural traditions that have been developed within the Icelandic fishing industry when processing their fish leather.
Fish leather is also benefiting other sectors, such as tourism. In 2014, Atlantic
Leather – Iceland’s last remaining tannery – opened a museum for tourists. The
museum recreates the traditional and contemporary tanning process of fish leather
and displays historical photos and implements (Deliso 2015).
15.4 Methodology
15.4.1 Study Methodology
The aim of this case study is to explore the link between sustainable materials (fish
skin, a by-product of the fish industry, as a new raw material for fashion) and transferring the intangible heritage skills of fish skin craft from Arctic ethnic minorities
to higher education fashion students from Nordic universities.
The literature review highlighted that in Iceland, as in many other countries
around the world, better utilisation of marine resources is being widely called for.
There is well-documented support for the Icelandic commitment to a sustainable
seafood sector and a reduction of seafood waste.
To reflect upon the interaction of fish skin using traditional craft techniques,
bibliographic and documentary research was initially done:
• Enquiry [Theory]. Following the workshop (see Chap. 5), data was collected
through primary and secondary sources to reveal areas of potential
development.
• Contextual and visual analysis.
• Making [Practice]. Higher education students produced fish skin samples in collaboration with an Arctic ethnic minority craftsperson. Photographic documentation was used for the illustration and classification of results.
15 SDG 14 Life Below Water