Fancy a fish-skin leather jacket?

With a maritime area of 5,000,000 km², The Islands of Tahiti have significant marine resources. Seeking to take advantage of this, a small business named Ecocuir Tahiti Haumanava Tixier is utilising leftover raw materials from the ever-popular fishing industry to reduce wastage by creating fish-skin leather.

Ecocuir Tahiti targets both small craftsmen and high-end luxury clothing and accessory designers seeking the finest quality products. As a supplier of 100% eco-friendly fish leather, the business is at the forefront of innovation on the islands.

“One of the business’s main objectives is to educate and train local fishermen to process the skin without compromising the quality of the fish,” noted Raihei Dudes from Ecocuir Tahiti.

The process starts by collecting the fish waste from fishermen and fishmongers. The skin is then selected for vegetable tanning, where mango peel and bark from mimosa or badamier trees are often used.

Once the fish skin has been cleaned and scrubbed, it is ready to be bathed in the tannins. After four weeks of tanning, it is ready to be dried and softened.

The full manufacturing process takes up to six weeks. The end product is soft, strong and beautiful leather, comparable to snake skin, that is extremely resistant and waterproof.

“This rich, natural material and the craftsmanship have transformed waste into a high-end product, which is an eco-conscious alternative to traditional leathers,” Dudes said. “The 100% organic leather also provides The Islands of Tahiti with a fantastic new trade.”

Typically the fishing industry generates tonnes of waste; however, thanks to Ecocuir Tahiti, The Islands of Tahiti are now taking part in the circular economy. Using the raw materials and intricate techniques, the fish-skin project will aid waste prevention and offer further trade opportunities for the islands.

The business has now been awarded the equivalent of AU$52,000 for this innovative project — financial support that will not only help grow the business so it can continue to reduce waste on the island and supply more and more customers, but also help inspire other small businesses around the world to consider how they can use raw materials to prevent unnecessary wastage.