Fishing in the Supply Stream
Just like it takes a lot of sticks to build a dam, I’ve been gnawing away at emails, phone calls, and internet research this summer, seeking to help 7 Leagues Leather build a sustainable supply chain for fish skin. Though we are pitching win-win solutions for reducing waste while increasing profits in fish processing, many suppliers are working too hard to keep their heads above water in these pandemic times to come up for air long enough to respond to a problem they may not have previously considered. Undaunted, I kept gnawing at the obstacles; changing hearts and minds is not a leisurely endeavour - even in the best of circumstances - yet I was determined to make my mark on this one, come heck or high water.
In some ways we are swimming upstream, as 7 Leagues has plotted a very particular course through these seas. We won’t work with farmed fish, for instance, only with skin from sustainable wild catch. Open pen fish farming is a harmful, industrial practice that endangers wild stocks through disease and medications that infest the surrounding waters and by escapements of invasive external fish that threaten a vulnerable local fish population. By adding value instead to the selective catch of smaller, mostly local and independent fisherfolk with an interest in preserving the fish and their way of life, we fight the tide against corporate farms that have no skin in the game. In places like Europe, wild fish are pretty well already gone - farmed fish are all they have left - while in the Pacific Northwest, we still have the ability to save iconic species and a foundation of coastal and Indigenous communities if we make the right choices and do the right thing.
We dream of a school of allied businesses swimming together to create innovative solutions in the blue economy. This is why we’re dedicated to shortening supply chains, supporting local businesses, and baiting the hook for collaboration in the fishing industry. Plus, all this leads to a brilliant product! If we needed any more motivation to swim that extra mile, wild Pacific salmon have thicker skin than Atlantic salmon and thus make more durable leather for what is ultimately a higher quality good.
For all the added rungs the pandemic has thrown into our salmon ladder, there have been a few opportunities that open up the waters ahead of us. Consumers and businesses are now more than ever considering the importance of sustainable supply chains and supporting local industry. We are happy to be part of that. We have also finally nailed down a solid supply of coho to begin production.
As for me, this is my last report as the 7 Leagues Eager Beaver, er, summer intern. I appreciate the unique opportunity and experience the role of Eager Beaver has given me. In many ways it looked a little different than a typical summer internship and because of this I feel the skills I’ve learned are distinctive and of great value. l prepared and implemented meaningful discussions while representing a brand, pursued self-guided inquiry/action on special projects, and tended to a business’s digital presence/marketing strategy. I’ve also come away with an even greater enthusiasm for social enterprise and sustainable business. While I won’t hold the title, I will still have the mindset of an eager beaver.