CONSUMER SEAFOOD GUIDE

The WWF-SASSI Consumer Seafood Guide is a reference tool that categorizes seafood into three sustainability levels: Green (Best Choice), Orange (Think Twice), and Red (Don't Buy). It emphasizes that sustainability depends on the species, the method of capture or farming, and the geographic origin of the seafood. The guide provides specific examples of sustainable and unsustainable seafood, such as MSC-certified SA trawled hake (Green) and various 'No Sale' species that are illegal to sell in South Africa.

• The WWF-SASSI sustainability system uses a 'traffic light' categorization to guide consumers: 'GREEN – BEST CHOICE' for the most sustainable and well-managed populations, 'ORANGE – THINK TWICE' for species depleted by overfishing or harmful farming/fishing methods, and 'RED – DON’T BUY' for unsustainable populations, extreme environmental concerns, or species illegal to buy or sell in South Africa.
• Determining the sustainability of seafood requires three specific pieces of information: the species (to assess stock health and vulnerability), the method of capture or farming (to assess environmental effects), and the origin (to assess fishery management effectiveness).
• Certain species are designated as 'No Sale', meaning they are illegal to sell in South Africa and are reserved exclusively for recreational fishers with valid permits.
• The guide identifies specific sustainable (Green) examples, including SA pole caught Albacore tuna from the Atlantic Ocean, MSC-certified hake from South Africa and Namibia, and ASC-certified prawns from Vietnam and Ecuador.

APA

WWF South Africa (2025). CONSUMER SEAFOOD GUIDE. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/img/original/sassi-pocket-guide-2025-update---digital.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. CONSUMER SEAFOOD GUIDE. 2025. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/img/original/sassi-pocket-guide-2025-update---digital.pdf.

Wikipedia

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

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafrica2025consumer, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{CONSUMER SEAFOOD GUIDE}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/img/original/sassi-pocket-guide-2025-update---digital.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }