P448 Project Sustainability launches its third invasive-fish leather capsule with the bluestripe snapper The launch follows previous P448 invasive fish leather capsules, which included the lionfish and carp. This is a dedicated capsule to bring awareness to the issues posed by the bluestripe snapper to Hawaii's fragile ecosystems and highlights a new alternative to the leather category with invasive fish.

The bluestripe snapper, known locally in Hawaiʻi by its Tahitian name, ta'ape, was first introduced to the eastern shores of the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, seven decades ago from the South Pacific with the original intent to provide additional fishing opportunities and food sources for Hawaiʻi. Ta'ape, which naturally school in the hundreds, quickly swelled to an unwelcomed spread across the 1,500-mile Hawaiian archipelago ranging from shallow reefs to ocean depths of over 6,400 feet. As an invasive species, the ta'ape are competing with native fish for food and habitat, while also causing losses for the local fishing industry by invading and even taking over local fishing spots, pushing native fish out of their homes.

Through its partnership with environmental nonprofit Conservation International, P448 has sourced 2,000 ta'ape skins from the island of Moloka'i for this capsule collection. This collaboration builds on the Ta'ape Project, launched in 2020 by Conservation International Hawai'i in partnership with local nonprofit Chef Hui, to encourage consumption of the invasive reef fish, supporting the local economy, improving island food security and reducing the species' environmental impact. CI's partnership with P448 is the first outside of the food industry connecting local fishers to the fashion industry to utilize the skins of the caught ta'ape fish for footwear manufacturing, thus creating a new market for ta'ape skins while offering a sustainable business opportunity for the community.

"Throughout the globe, climate change is expected to exacerbate the impacts of invasive species. We need to be developing solutions to address this challenge while meeting other growing needs such as food security and community resilience. We are honored to be a part of this innovative collaboration because it does exactly that. By removing ta'ape, the initiative benefits Hawaii's native marine life, feeds communities, and supports the local economy," said Matt Ramsey, senior director, Conservation International's Hawai'i program. "Additionally with the lack of government-led programs to tackle the challenge of ta'ape, this initiative directly addresses these gaps."

Ta'ape has been tanned by native islanders, it has never been processed to ta'ape fish leather on a commercial scale. It takes months of research, testing and trial samples to ensure that the skins are able to be properly used in a wearable yet durable pair of P448 sneakers. With sustainability in mind, P448 partnered with Aquaborne, a tannery that specializes in eco-friendly aquatic leather manufacturing to transform the ta'ape into fish leather. The proprietary hybrid tanning method saved 80% of water and energy used when compared to traditional tanning processes. Each shoe utilizes two fish skins.

"Tanning cold-blooded fish skins is completely different than tanning hides from cattle or other warm-blooded animals," said Nodar Narsavidze, managing partner at Aquaborne. "Layered with the fact that each fish skin is unique, the process can become quite complex as what can work with one fish skin may not apply to another fish skin."

Source: P448