WWF-SASSI

The WWF-SASSI fact sheet is a consumer guide for the South African seafood market that categorizes species into Green (best choice), Orange (think twice), and Red (don't buy) lists based on population health, fishing methods, and management. It encourages consumers to verify the species, origin, and catch method to ensure ecological sustainability and legal compliance.

• The WWF-SASSI initiative is a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations, including the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, SANBI, and the City of Cape Town, among others. Its primary goal is to use education, awareness, and behavior change to improve the conservation status of seafood species that are overexploited.
• SASSI categorizes seafood into three risk levels to guide consumer choices: 'Green' for the healthiest and most well-managed populations; 'Orange' for species with concerns regarding depleted populations, high fishing pressure, biological vulnerability, or severe environmental impacts; and 'Red' for those from unsustainable populations, those with extreme environmental concerns, or those that are illegal to sell in South Africa.
• To determine if a seafood choice is sustainable, the document advises consumers to ask three specific questions: what species it is, how it was caught or farmed, and where it is from. These factors correspond to the health of fish stocks, the environmental effects of the fishing method, and the effectiveness of fishery management.
• Certain species on the Red list are explicitly illegal to sell in South Africa, categorized as either recreational 'no-sale' species or specially protected species. These are visually distinguished on the poster by a dark background.

APA

WWF South Africa (2025). WWF-SASSI. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/img/original/sassi-a0-poster-2025-update---digital.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. WWF-SASSI. 2025. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/img/original/sassi-a0-poster-2025-update---digital.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=WWF-SASSI |date=December 2025 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/img/original/sassi-a0-poster-2025-update---digital.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafrica2025wwfsassi, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{WWF-SASSI}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/img/original/sassi-a0-poster-2025-update---digital.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }