THE SASSI LIST

You can make the right choice when it comes to seafood by using SASSI’s simple traffic-light system to help you navigate your options based on how sustainable a specific species is before buying it.

GREEN

If the seafood you’re about to buy or plan to eat is on the green list, this is the best sustainable choice and you should go for it. Always choose fish or other species from this list as it contains seafood from healthy and well-managed populations that are fished or farmed in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the environment. Expect to see species such as anchovies, South African line-caught dorado, South African-farmed mussels and oysters, and South African yellowtail on the green list.

ORANGE

Though many retailers and restaurants still sell seafood that’s on the orange list, SASSI doesn’t recommend supporting these businesses, and you should think twice before purchasing any seafood on this list. These species come with several disadvantages, as either the specific species is vulnerable to high fishing pressure, populations are overfished and depleted, or the fishing and farming practices may be harmful to the environment or have a high by-catch rate. Some of the species included in this list are South African offshore-trawl kingklip and gurnard, as well as prawns, red roman and South African sardines.

RED

Seafood on the red list should not be bought or sold, as the species are from unsustainable or collapsed populations and the fishing practices employed cause great harm to the environment. The trade of these species often lacks proper management, and illegal trading is common. Certain ‘no sale’ species, and even some species often caught by recreational fishermen with valid permits are also listed here. Red listed species include wild-caught abalone, bluefin tuna, geelbek, red stumpnose and West Coast rock lobster, to name only a few.