New-York tribune., 1919-05-12
Skins of Aquatic
Animals Used for
Leather Making
Hides Secured From Stur-
geon, Shark, Blacklist and
Porpoise; By-Products In
clude Food, Oil and Glue

Leather Of all types and adaptable
for the varied services for which the
tanned skins Of domesticated animals
are utilized is now being made from
the skins Of various aquatic animals,
including ray, shark, sturgeon, paddle
fish, whale and porpoise. Develop
ment of this new branch of the leather
industry has reached the stage where
the raw material has been converted
into mems, women's and children's
shoes and belts. wallets. portfolios,
brief cases, etc.
According to Alfred Ehrenreich,
president Of the Ocean Leather Com
pany, Of New York, who for some
time past has been working on process
es for the efficient tanning of fish
skins, the production of this new form
of leather is only in it's infancy and
holds strong possibilities Of a rapid
and large growth. Reclaiming plants
are operated by this company at More
head City, N. c.; Cape Lookout, N. c.;
Fort Myers, Fla, and Sandal Island,
Fla, where with comparatively limited
facilities an average of 200 large fish
is caught daily. Nets, hooks and
gathering fish, including mammals.
500 Hides Tanned in Week
At the reduction plants the fish arc
stripped Of their skins, which are
shipped 50 the company's tannery in
Newark. N. j., where the finished
leather is produced. Mr.. Ehrenreich
declares that at present the tannery is
treating about 500 hides a week, but
that next year it is likely that the
weekly output will range from 1000 to
5000 hides. These hides. Mr. Ehren-
reich said, run from 10 square feet to
about 40 square feet and in some cases
devil fish hides are as large as 100
square feet. AS a finished product the
leather sells for from cents to $1.25
square foot, depending to quality.
destructible is made made from cha
green, or the outer grain of nurse
sharks caught in the Gulf of Mexico
Or in south Atlantic waters. This grain
contains a hard substance which is
also used for the making of emery
wheels. Experiments are now being
made to adapt this material for SER
vice in diamond cutting intruments.
Outlets Of seal are made into covers
for medicine and perfume bottles and
also can be used for the same pur-
poses as chamois skin.
Nothing goes to waste at the reduc-
tion plants or the tannery. The stom-
achs of sharks are converted into
shoe and fancy leather, while the in
testines of the porpoise make an ex-
cellent thin leather suitable for man.
ufacturing infants and children's
shoes: All species Of sharks, rays
and devil fish ("manta") can be made
into shoe, bag or fancy leather.
Many By-Products Obtained
"All species of the whale family
which we catch, such as killer whales,
blackfish and porpoise-all mammals, -
said Mr.. Ehrenreich, "can be made into
shoe. bag or fancy leather. Splits
also can be made into leather for
shoes. By-products Of our reduction
plants include food, fertilizer, chicken
and cattle feed, oil, glue, strings for
musical Instruments and skins for sau-
sages. Shark fms are sold to Chinese
as delicatessen, and we find service
for the blood Of this animal as tan
ming material Sharks, rays and devil