By Peter Orengo

This fish tale needs no exaggeration.

And it is not about the one that got away either. Scientists have made fish skins into practical and beautiful leather products including bags, belts, wallets and folders. The Kenya Industrial Research Institute (Kirdi) has developed a new technology for producing leather out of fish skin that is bound to change the leather industry. The leather is soft but strong and durable and gets the green seal approval: It is made from commercial fish skins that usually get tossed or turned into chicken feed or fuel.

Scientists hail leather produced from Nile Perch skin for its softness, beauty and versatility and say it will transform the leather industry

"Fish skins tanning pollutes less and the leather is scratch, water and stain resistant and does not need polishing," says Kirdi Director, Tom Ogada.

The leather is available in suede and glazed finishes and can be dyed in a variety of colours.

.

Keep Reading

The innovation uses Nile Perch (Mbuta) skin to make leather. "Kirdi is extremely proud of the products," says Prof Ogada in a telephone interview.

Through an intricate 30-day chemical and mechanical process, the skins are churned, soaked, fleshed and vacuum dried. Odour is eliminated by a combination of chemicals that remove all the fish oils. "Timing is critical at this stage because if the skin is soaked too long, it will lose strength," says technician Stephen Kiliku, during a visit at Kirdi workshop. Ogada says the technology offers small-scale processors and traders a chance to compete effectively with larger, export-oriented fisheries.

For years, Kirdi researchers studied the socioeconomic status of fishermen and traders to know why they succeed or fail, and their links to other parts of the economy," Mr Ben Odongo, a research scientist at Kirdi says.

They found that locals did not like to eat Nile Perch, which is a major export to different parts of the world, because it is oily and smelly.

Nile perch

A mature Nile Perch weighs as much as 200kg and is 195cm long. Usually, locals sun dry the fish skin and use it as fuel.

At the start of the research, Kirdi through the Ministry of Industrialisation, engaged women entrepreneurs to source for the fish skins.

Two women groups, Kiswanyi and Obunga were recruited and trained on the intricacies of fish skin curing.

The women buy fish skin from traders then select, scale, grade, and cure the skins using salt and lime for money.

With the Kisumu tannery still not operational, cured skins are transported to Kirdi workshop in Nairobi where they are toggled (stretched, chemically treated, machine dried then dyed.

A pilot plant is being put up in Kisumu. Odongo says the plant will enhance productivity, competitiveness and the development of medium scale enterprises in the lake region.

The fishing industry around the lake has changed in the last 15 years mostly due to new export markets for Nile Perch filets. While its introduction in Lake Victoria reduced the number of indigenous fish stocks, the fish earns the country Sh16.7billion in sales to the European Union.

But the resulting increase in commercial fishing has transformed the industry.

Women, who traditionally represent 75 per cent of those engaged in artisanal —small-scale, non-commercial processing and trading of fish — are increasingly being marginalised.