Aquademia: The Seafood Podcast

From Fish Waste to Fish Leather: Rethinking Seafood Utilization

Episode Summary

Fish utilization is evolving beyond food, creating new opportunities for sustainability, innovation, and value across the seafood sector. Dallas Abel shares how his journey from fisheries observer to founder of Ofishal Leather revealed overlooked potential in fish skins and other underutilized seafood resources, transforming processing byproducts into premium leather products and new economic pathways. The conversation explores circular seafood systems, cultural perspectives on whole fish use, emerging materials innovation, and how maximizing every fish can support conservation and long-term seafood resilience.

Episode Notes

Episode Summary

What if the future of seafood sustainability starts with everything we leave behind? Across global seafood systems, fish skins, heads, frames, roe, and other processing leftovers are often treated as low-value material or discarded entirely. Yet growing interest in full utilization is challenging long-held assumptions about seafood waste and creating opportunities that extend well beyond the plate.

Dallas Abel’s work sits at the intersection of fisheries, circular economy thinking, conservation, and product innovation. Drawing from experience as a fisheries observer and later through New Zealand’s Kai Ika initiative, his work explores how overlooked parts of the fish can become valuable resources for communities, education, and entirely new product categories—including fish leather. The conversation highlights how greater utilization can strengthen seafood system resilience, reduce waste, create economic opportunity, and encourage a broader cultural shift toward valuing the whole fish.

Featured Guests

Dallas Abel — Founder, Ofishal Leather

Key Topics Covered

Fisheries observation and insights into seafood processing practices
Seafood waste and opportunities for full fish utilization
The origins and growth of the Kai Ika community redistribution model
Cultural perspectives on consuming different parts of the fish
Fish leather production and the tanning process
Comparing traditional and vegetable tanning approaches
Selecting fish species based on leather performance and aesthetics
Circular economy innovation within seafood systems
Consumer perceptions of seafood byproducts and waste
Conservation through value creation and resource efficiency

Key Takeaways

Significant portions of harvested fish remain underutilized across seafood supply chains.
Whole fish utilization can create environmental, social, and economic benefits simultaneously.
Fish skins can become durable premium materials through established leather-making techniques.
Cultural food traditions offer valuable lessons in reducing seafood waste.
Innovation in seafood often begins by rethinking existing resources rather than harvesting more.
Creating more value per fish may help reduce pressure on fisheries over time.
Education and storytelling play an important role in changing consumer behavior.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Ofishal Leather:

Global Seafood Alliance:

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