SOUTH AFRICA OCEANS OF CHANGE: WEATHERING STORMS

The 2020-21 WWF-SASSI Retailer/Supplier Participation Scheme report evaluates the progress of major South African seafood vendors in adopting sustainable procurement practices. It highlights the intersection of climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and consumer behavior in shaping a sustainable blue economy.

• The ocean is a critical tool for mitigating the climate crisis, absorbing over 90% of excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions and potentially providing one-fifth of the global carbon emissions reductions required to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This can be achieved through the protection and regeneration of "blue carbon" ecosystems, including mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses, coral reefs, and kelp forests.
• The Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted the progress of most participants in the WWF-SASSI Retailer/Supplier Participation Scheme, leading to a decline in the achievement of seafood sustainability commitments during 2020.
• Retailers and suppliers in the scheme show varying levels of success in meeting sustainability criteria. For example, in 2021, Woolworths reported that 87% of its seafood volume met sustainability criteria (including those under improvement), while the Shoprite Holdings Group provided sustainable fisheries training to 96% of its local fishery suppliers.
• Consumer preferences in South African restaurants in 2021 were led by hake (91.2%), calamari (73.6%), and prawns (59.7%). Notably, green-listed snoek/barracouta has overtaken orange-listed salmon as a favorite, a shift potentially caused by pandemic-related supply chain interruptions.
• There is a growing trend of environmental consciousness among South African seafood consumers, with 92% expressing worry about climate change and 84% stating they buy sustainable products. Consumers believe retailers should take primary responsibility for ensuring seafood is harvested responsibly.

APA

WWF South Africa (2022). SOUTH AFRICA OCEANS OF CHANGE: WEATHERING STORMS. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_sassi_retailer_supplier_participant_scheme_report.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. SOUTH AFRICA OCEANS OF CHANGE: WEATHERING STORMS. 2022. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_sassi_retailer_supplier_participant_scheme_report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=SOUTH AFRICA OCEANS OF CHANGE: WEATHERING STORMS |date=2022 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_sassi_retailer_supplier_participant_scheme_report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafrica2022south, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{SOUTH AFRICA OCEANS OF CHANGE: WEATHERING STORMS}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2022}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_sassi_retailer_supplier_participant_scheme_report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }