Mexico studies the use of tilapia skin for high-end shoe production

Center for innovative technology application (Ciatec) in Guanajuato state, Mexico, has successfully developed the use of tilapia skin instead of the skin of rare reptile species in footwear production.

Use of tilapia skin to produce high quality shoes

Francisco Javier Castro, Ciatec coordinator, said scientists used alternative tilapia skin for crocodile skin, iguanas, snakes and turtles, many of which are at risk of extinction . Many rare reptile skin species from Colombia and Africa are brought to Mexico to produce shoes .

Illustration.(Source: entornointeligente.com)

According to Castro, in the states of Jalisco, Zacatecas and Chiapas, seafood cooperatives produce 20 tons of tilapia a month and this amount can belong to 1.2 million skins to produce 54,000 pairs of shoes. /.