Fishy accessories are tipping the scales

Fishy accessories are tipping the scales

Text and photos by Gin Kurniawan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Waste can be made into things of value. This
is what the Dian Desa, a self-supporting institute in Yogyakarta
is doing. They turn fish skin, previously thought of as waste,
into handicrafts such as bags, wallets, belts and shoes.

Not long ago the fishermen living along the northern coast of
Java only processed the flesh of ikan pari (ray fish) species
Trygon kuhlii and Trygon sephen. The spotted rough skin of these
fish used to end up in waste pools. Since the Dian Desa members
found a way to treat this fish skin, fishermen have been provided
with an additional income that exceeds the wholesale price of the
flesh of ikan pari. After their find, the institute established
PT Dian Mandala company to collect ikan pari skins from
fishermen.

Ariyanto Sujarwo, managing director of the company, said the
firm produces about 1,000 to 1,500 wallets, bags, belts, shoes
and other accessories a month. Production results are still small
due to minimal supplies of basic material.

This fish variety is not always in season, but are usually
abundant in February and October.

The institute says it has enough human resources to produce
fish skin handicrafts in larger numbers, but the market is quite
restricted.

"The market for our products is still limited," said Ariyanto,
a 1983 graduate of the Geography Faculty of Gadjah Mada
University in Yogyakarta.

He said ikan pari skin handicrafts are not bright. When
compared with the hide of goat, cattle or sheep, this fish skin
has unique properties. The fibrous part of its skin, which runs
in a cross-wise course, makes it a strong material and is one of
the reasons for its high market value. A man's wallet is priced
at Rp 90,000. Bags or shoes start at Rp 250,000.

This type of handicraft was first an export item with markets
in Italy, Japan, America, France, Switzerland and the
Netherlands. Recently it has made inroads in the domestic market
with demands of 60 percent to 70 percent of total production.

Ikan pari skin resembles reptile skin which proves to be an
excellent handicraft material, such as the skin of huge lizards,
crocodiles and snakes. However, less people use handicrafts made
of reptile skin following protests from environmentalists. On the
other hand, the use of ikan pari skin is relatively new, and
their numbers still abound. Ikan pari's habitat is along the
eastern coast of Sumatra, in the Java Sea, all along the
Kalimantan coast, South Sulawesi, in the Tiworo Strait and in the
Arafuru sea of eastern Indonesia.

There are a variety of ikan pari. But only two kinds have been
utilized, the Trygon kuhlii and Trygon sephen. One of the special
characteristics of these varieties are the tiny wart-like
markings on the skin. There is an element like crystal at the
back which features an attraction all of its own. These two fish
varieties are widely found in tropical waters.

The exotic skin of ikan pari is not easy to treat. Processing
the skin appears to entail special treatment compared to other
animal skins. This is due to the fish skin's special structure
which is quite different from hide. It is of a dense skin fiber,
which calls for special curing. Because of its high ammonia
content, decomposition sets in quickly. The skin is therefore
covered in heaps of salt to preserve it. Oddly enough, the
vulnerability of the skin before treatment undergoes
transformation after that. It turns into a very strong material,
making it practically resistant to sharp objects.

"Aside from its beauty, the strength of the skin has drawn
admiration," said Ariyanto, a father of one.

History

Success in ikan pari skin treatment started from Dian Desa's
activities when they trained pond farmers and fishermen of the
northern Central Java coastline in 1985. The plight of destitute
fishermen living in poverty drew their attention.

The fishermen's major concern was how to extensively utilize
their catches from the sea. Not every part of a fish could be
used and some things were thrown away. Among the waste was the
skin of ikan pari, also called ikan pe by the locals. The
fishermen only took the flesh. After the fish was skinned, the
meat was minced and quickly cooked to prevent rotting. The meat
was usually grilled for consumption or salted for later use.

One of the problems was how to treat the skin of ikan pari.
Aryanto went to Thailand to learn the technology of ikan pari
skin treatment. But he made the trip in vain, because he did not
obtain the necessary information, despite Indonesian fishermen
being the suppliers of material for Thailand's fish skin
industry. In the end, Aryanto succeeded in getting the technology
in 1989 with the cooperation of Balai Penelitian Kulit (Skin and
Hide Research Institute) in Yogyakarta.

The tanning of fish skin started in 1990. At first, only
tanned skins were marketed but they did not sell well. It was a
new product, after all, even though fish skins had been used for
ages in handicrafts. In Japan, for instance, combat uniforms were
made from it due to the material's resistance to sharp objects.
In France, the material was used in accessories in the 18th
century.

The first time locals were introduced to ikan pari skin
products they were amazed. They could hardly believe that fish
skin could be tanned for handicraft use. Fishermen were also
surprised. When they were requested to collect the skins of ikan
pari, they simply gave the institute the skin as they thought of
it as waste. However, Dian Desa, which gave priority to the
fishermen's welfare, refused to accept the skins for free. The
institute paid a good price for each skin. A piece of skin
measuring between 15 centimeters and 19 cm in length fetches a
price of US$8 or $10, while lengths of 35 cm or 40 cm sell for
US$35.

The fishermen no longer throw away the skins of ikan pari. The
income from fish skin has made a big difference to their lives.