South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI)

 

The unsustainable harvest of the world's oceans has led to the depletion and, in some cases, collapse of many of the world's major fish stocks. While the outlook for many threatened marine ecosystems remain bleak in the face of unsustainable fishing practices, those involved in the seafood industry are realising that by changing the way they conduct business now, the long-term viability of their industry can be ensured.

While it may be the responsibility of the government to regulate and monitor fishing activities, it's also the duty of every seafood restaurant, retailer and consumer to support sustainable and responsible fishing practices.

In 2004, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) established the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) to inform and educate all participants in the seafood trade, from wholesalers to restaurateurs through to seafood lovers, about sustainable seafood.

By using a "traffic light" system, the colour-coded SASSI list categorises selected South African and imported seafood species according to their conservation status.

Green

This is the group from which consumers are encouraged to choose, as it contains the most sustainable choices from the healthiest and most well-managed populations. These species can handle current fishing pressure.

Orange

This group includes species that have associated reasons for concern, either because the species is depleted as a result of overfishing and can't sustain current fishing pressure, or the fishery that catches them may cause particularly severe environmental damage and/or has high bycatch, or the lifestyle of the species makes it vulnerable to high fishing pressure. Consumers are encouraged to think twice and consider the implications of these choices.

Red

This group includes both unsustainable species, which are from collapsed populations or have extreme environmental concerns and/or lack appropriate management, and species that are illegal to buy or sell in South Africa (no-sale species). These species should never be bought by consumers. Fish highlighted in bold in this category are illegal to sell in South Africa.

Key to symbols used in lists:

Achovy	Atlantic Salmon (Norway farmed)	Abalone
Angelfish	Bigeye Tuna (SA pelagic longline)	Bluefin Tuna
Calamar/Squid (various species)	Cape Dory	Biscuit Skate (SA inshore trawl)
Cape Rock Oyster (KZN, hand collected)	Cape Horse Mackerel (SA mid-water trawl)	Black musselcracker/Poenskop
Carpenter (SA line caught)	Cape Rock Oyster ( Southern Cape hand collected)	Dageraad
Dorado (SA line caught)	Catface Rockcod	Geelbek
East Coast Rock Lobster (EC, hand collected)	Dorado (SA pelagic longline)	Jacopever (SA ofshore trawl)
Gurnard (SA ofshore Trawl)	Englishman	Panga (SA inshore trawl)
Hake (SA demersal longline)	Hake (Namibia)	Red Stumpnose/Miss Lucy
Hake (SA Trawl)	Kingklip (SA ofshore trawl)	Scotsman
Hottentot	Octopus	Shortfin Mako Sharks
King mackerel	Panga (SA line caught)	Silver Kob (SA inshore trawl)
Kingklip (SA demersal longline)	Prawns (various species)	Silver  Kob (SA line caught)
Kob (SA farmed)	Red Roman	Baardman/Belman
Mussels (SA farmed)	Santer	Blacktail/Dassie
Monk	Sole (East Coast)	Brindle Bass
Oysters (SA farmed)	Swordfish (Sa pelagic longline)	Bronze Bream
Queen Mackerel		Cape Stumpnose
Rainbow Trout (SA farmed)		East Coast Rock Lobster (KZN)
Sardines (SA)		Galjoen
Slinger (SA line caught)		Garrick
Snoek		King Fish
White mussel (SA hand collected)		Natal Knife Jaw
Yellowfin Tuna (SA pole caught)		Natal Stumpnose
Yellowtail		Natal Wrasse
		Potato Bass
		Red  Steenbras
		River Snapper
		Seventy-four
		Spotted Grunter
		West Coast Steenbras
		White Musselcracker
		White Steenbras

Download a printable pocket-size SASSI card here.

If you're unsure about the status of species of fish you want to purchase, you can send an sms with just the name of the fish to the SASSI FishMs number: 079 499 8795. If the species is on one of the SASSI lists, you'll receive information about that species, as well as its associated SASSI colour. Smses are charged at standard rates.

The SASSI App allows you to check the sustainability of your seafood choice in real time. You can find out whether to tuck in, think twice or avoid all together. It’s free on Android and iOS!

For more information, visit the SASSI website at www.wwf.org.za/sassi Or, if you have specific questions, e-mail SASSI at sassi@wwf.org.za

Source: South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI)