Wwf Sassi

Background

About Wwf Sassi

Over the last few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of fish being taken out of the oceans. A quarter of total fisheries are now classified as overfished or depleted, and another half of the remaining global fisheries are being fished as hard as they can be. Overfishing, and its associated environmental impacts, is our biggest global environmental challenge alongside those posed by climate change. Here in South Africa, the situation is not much better. Seventy-nine per cent of key South African linefish species are considered to be overexploited or collapsed by experts. So what can we do about it? Well, quite a lot actually, and easily too. Through their seafood guide, WWF-SASSI provides seafood-lovers with the information needed to make sustainable and environmentally friendly choices. The easy-to-use ‘traffic light’ system informs consumers of which seafood species can be eaten with a clear conscience (green), which should be regarded with concern because of specified reasons (orange), and which should be avoided because they are either considered unsustainable or illegal to sell in South Africa (red). The list encourages consumers to always ask three simple questions of their seafood: What is it called? Where is from? How was it caught or farmed? This information can be obtained using the WWF-SASSI website and mobi site (wwfsassi.mobi). Additionally, the nifty FishMS brings the list to you via an SMS. By texting the name of the fish to the number 079-499-8795, the service will send you an immediate response telling you whether to tuck in, think twice or avoid completely. There is also a free app for Blackberry, iOs and Android that consumers can download and use. Ultimately, our choice of one type of seafood over another really does matter to the health of our marine environment here in South Africa. Remember: you have a choice. Make it green! For more information, see our website at