Seafood Initiative Helps Sustain Species

Green means buy!

Last Updated: 26 January 2017

The unsustainable harvest of the ocean has led to the depletion and, in some cases, collapse of many of the world’s major fish stocks. While many threatened ecosystems remain bleak in the face of unsustainable fish practices, those involved in the seafood industry are realising that by changing the way they conduct business now ensures the long-term sustainability of their industry.

In 2004, the World Wide Fund (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  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 cannot sustain current fishing pressure, or the fishery that catches them may cause particularly severe environmental damage and/or has high by catch, 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-sales species). These species should never be bought by consumers. Fish highlighted in bold in this category are illegal to sell in South Africa.

The table below displays species that are in the "traffic light" system:

GREEN	ORANGE	RED
Atlantic Mackerel	Atlantic Salmon	West Coast Lobster
Anchovy	Baby Clam	Biscuit Skate
Green-lipped Mussel	Blue Shark	Black Musselcracker
Hottentot	Cape Dory	Blacktail
King Mackerel	Cape House Mackerel	Brindle Bass Rockcod
Monkfish	Catface Rockcod	Bronze Bream
Queen Mackerel	East Coast Sole	Great White Shark
Rainbow Trout	Englishman	Baardman
Slinger	Harders	Garrick
Snoek	Moroccan Pilchards	Natal Wrasse
White Mussel	Octopus	Sawfish
Yellowtail	Yellow-belly Rockcod	Scotsman
Squid	Red Roman	Silver Kob
Cape Rock Oyster	White-edged Rockcod	Spotted Grunter
Kingklip	Red Drum	St Joseph Shark
Angelfish	Santer	Striped Catshark
Blue Mussels	Swordfish	Branded Galjoen
Deep-water Cape Hake	Prawns	Bluefin Tuna
Sardine	Namibian Hake	Cape Stumpnose

By Garth Prins
Source Credit: wwfsassi.com

---

Use our events section for an up-to-date overview of happenings in Cape Town. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and if you have a smart phone, add m.capetownmagazine.com to your home screen for quick access on the go!

Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, join our Google+ circle, connect with us on LinkedIn, check out our photos on Instagram and follow our Pinterest boards for updates on what’s happening in and around the Mother City!