Use of foreign invasive species as raw material

At present, under the influence of many factors such as animal protection and sustainable development, the fashion industry is more actively exploring the alternative choices of traditional animal leather. A few days ago, Inverse, a company founded in 2020, is trying to turn lion fish, an alien invasive species in some waters, into a product: fish skin leather.

Lion fish can be made into a special kind of fish skin, and the interlaced fiber structure makes this fish skin thin and durable. Each lionfish can be made into a piece of leather, with an area ranging from 40-75 square inches (about 258-483 square centimeters) and an average of 58 square inches (about 374 square centimeters). Inversa uses desiccant to tan and dye fish skin and then sells it to partner brands to make sneakers, wallets, belts, bags and even watchbands. Up to now, Inversa's partners include Teton Leather, a custom leather manufacturer, and P448, an Italian shoe brand.

Inversa, co-founded by Aarav Chavda and Roland Salatino, hopes to reduce the environmental impact of fashion industry while also protecting coral reefs and biodiversity. Because lionfish are an alien species in some waters, turning them into fish skin leather can actually help correct the ecological imbalance caused by human error decades ago. Inversa says the leather is sustainable, renewable and not only helps to conserve biodiversity, but is more sustainable than so-called traditional leather. For example, it does not require large-scale grazing, which will not lead to soil degradation and methane emissions. "Our leather made from invasive species can help solve the environmental crisis and conserve biodiversity... Each piece of leather can save up to 70,000 coral reef native fish and actively heal our planet," said the company official website.

In terms of business model, although lion fish leather is tanned and dyed by In versa, the raw materials come from local fishermen. "There is no market for lion fish at all in many areas, especially in the Caribbean, where incomes are lower. Not only does the fish destroy the coral reefs that sustain these fishing cooperatives, but the locals are also powerless to cope with the situation. They can hunt lion fish, but it takes time, which means they don't hunt anything else -- their precious time can't be spent on lobster and grouper, so it's unfortunate", Aarav Chavda told the media. At present, In versa is planning to set up a fishing cooperative in Quintana Roo, Mexico, to ensure that fishermen will receive quick and fair remuneration and raise funds for the purchase of new equipment.

Lion fish originated in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, and was introduced into North America as an ornamental fish by human beings. In the process, some of them settled in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida coast, and then spread to the Caribbean Sea, Mexico, Brazil and Mediterranean Sea. Since the new habitat has no natural enemies, lion fish have caused ecological imbalance in these sea areas since 1990s.

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