Hey everyone!
The last couple of weeks we have been working on an innovative project to upcycle fish
waste on the Galápagos Islands. Our focus has been set on three promising solutions: fish
leather, fertilizer, and collagen. Each solution tackles a different part of the waste streams
while promoting sustainable practices in collaboration with the fishing community of Puerto
Ayora.
Using fish scales, collagen can be created, a valuable supplement for skin health. Our team
collaborated with Victor, a small-scale producer inspired by his grandmother.We connected
Victor with the fishers and now together, we are planning to scale up collagen production,
combining traditional knowledge with innovative techniques.
In our efforts to create fertilizer from fish waste, we partnered with Jerson Moreno, who has
been leading this initiative locally. By conducting literature reviews and leveraging global
examples, we’re helping him overcome the challenges that come from obtaining permits.
Fish leather has been our top priority, while this hasn’t been done on the islands ever before.
Together with the fishing community we started looking into the steps and materials needed
for making this leather from fish skins. After extensive research and a workshop we
organised with a fish leather expert from Argentina, we started the first pilot!
On the side we are doing parasite research on some common fish species. After enough
data is collected the plan is to raise awareness to increase safe fish preparement.
