WWF-SASSI Seafood Guide: Making Sustainable Seafood Choices in the Western Cape

If you eat seafood, buy fish for the braai, order calamari at a restaurant or spend weekends fishing along the Western Cape coast, there is one very useful system worth knowing: the WWF-SASSI List.

SASSI stands for the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative, a WWF programme designed to help South Africans make more sustainable seafood choices.

At the heart of the system is a simple traffic-light colour guide:

Green = Best Choice
Orange = Think Twice
Red = Don’t Buy

It sounds simple – and that is exactly the point.

But there is one catch.

A fish species does not always have just one colour. Its WWF-SASSI status can depend on where it was caught, how it was caught or farmed, and which fishery it came from.

Understanding the WWF-SASSI Colour Coding Table

WWF-SASSI Rating What it means Western Cape examples
🟢 GREEN – Best Choice Generally the more sustainable seafood choices, coming from healthier stocks or fisheries with better management and lower environmental impacts. Cape Snoek caught by line fishing and Cape Bream / Hottentot caught by line fishing are currently Green-listed choices.
🟠 ORANGE – Think Twice There are sustainability concerns. These may relate to the health of the stock, fishing pressure, bycatch, seabed damage or the way the fishery is managed. Kingklip caught by offshore demersal trawl is currently Orange. Interestingly, South African kingklip from the hake demersal longline fishery is currently Green — showing why the fishing method matters.
🔴 RED – Don’t Buy Avoid purchasing seafood in this category. It may come from an unsustainable population, environmentally damaging fishery or farming system, or it may be a protected/no-sale species. Galjoen is a Red-listed no-sale species. Wild hand-collected abalone/perlemoen is Red, although some legally farmed abalone from recirculating aquaculture systems is currently Green.

WWF-SASSI currently lists line-caught South African snoek and Cape Bream as Best Choice options.

Kingklip is a great example of why you should look beyond the name of the fish. South African kingklip caught through the hake demersal longline fishery is currently Green, while kingklip caught through offshore demersal trawling is listed as Orange.

Does Red Mean It Is Illegal?

Not always.

This is an important distinction.

WWF-SASSI’s Red category means Don’t Buy, but Red-listed seafood can be there for different reasons.

Some species are officially classified as no-sale species. In those cases, buying or selling them is illegal in South Africa.

Galjoen is one of these species.

Galjoen may be caught recreationally by a properly permitted recreational fisher, subject to the applicable regulations, but the catch may not be sold. WWF-SASSI specifically states that it is illegal to buy or sell no-sale species.

Other seafood can appear on the Red list because the particular population, fishing method or farming method is considered environmentally unsustainable.

That is why the rule is better remembered as:

Red = Don’t Buy.

And if it is specifically identified as a no-sale species, buying or selling it is illegal.

Abalone Is a Good Example of Why the Details Matter

South African abalone – better known locally as perlemoen – is a particularly good example.

Wild abalone stocks have suffered heavily from overexploitation and illegal harvesting.

WWF-SASSI currently rates wild hand-collected South African abalone as Red – Don’t Buy.

But that does not mean every piece of abalone available legally in South Africa is automatically Red.

Abalone produced in certain recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) is currently listed as a Green – Best Choice option.

So if you see abalone on a menu, simply asking “Is this farmed, and where does it come from?” can make a major difference.

The Three Questions to Ask Before Buying Seafood

You don’t need to know every fish species swimming off Cape Point.

WWF-SASSI recommends asking three very simple questions:

  • What species is it?
  • How was it caught or farmed?
  • Where does it come from?

Those three questions can completely change a seafood’s sustainability rating.

This is useful whether you’re standing at a fish counter in Cape Town, ordering seafood at a restaurant in Hout Bay or buying directly from a supplier on the West Coast.

What About Recreational and Charter Fishing?

SASSI is extremely useful for fishers too.

Knowing the conservation status of a species helps recreational anglers make better decisions about what they keep and what they release.

However, the SASSI colour system should not be confused with South Africa’s recreational fishing regulations.

A Green listing does not mean you can catch unlimited quantities of a fish.

Recreational anglers must still comply with applicable:

  • Fishing permits
  • Marine Protected Areas
  • Minimum and maximum sizes
  • Daily bag limits
  • Closed seasons
  • Species-specific restrictions
  • No-sale rules

Responsible fishing therefore means looking at both legal fishing regulations and ecological sustainability.

Where to Check the Latest WWF-SASSI Information

The easiest approach is to check the species before buying, ordering or deciding whether to retain a fish.

  • Official WWF-SASSI List:
    Use the searchable live seafood database to look up a species and, where applicable, its fishing method and origin.
    WWF-SASSI Seafood List
  • Free WWF-SASSI Mobile App:
    Available for iOS and Android. It gives quick access to seafood sustainability information while you’re shopping or eating out.
    WWF-SASSI website and app access.
    WWF-SASSI currently describes the app as free on both Android and iOS.
  • Printable Pocket Guide / Wallet Card:
    WWF-SASSI publishes a compact consumer seafood guide that can be saved to your phone or printed and kept handy.
    The December 2025 edition specifically reminds consumers that seafood can have different colours depending on where and how it was caught or farmed.
    WWF-SASSI 2025 Consumer Seafood Pocket Guide
  • FishMS SMS Service – 079 499 8795:
    Traditionally, consumers can SMS the name of the fish to 079 499 8795 to receive its SASSI status.
    The number continues to be referenced by South African seafood retailers and WWF-SASSI material. Because WWF-SASSI’s newest pocket guide now places greater emphasis on the live website and app, use the website or app if the SMS service is unavailable.

Your Seafood Choice Really Does Matter

Sustainable seafood does not mean giving up seafood.

It means becoming a little more curious about what is on your plate and how it got there.

Choosing a Green-listed fish when possible, thinking twice about Orange-listed options and avoiding Red-listed seafood helps shift demand towards healthier fisheries and better fishing practices.

And for those of us fortunate enough to fish the waters around the Western Cape, there is another side to it.

The fish we choose to keep today are part of the same populations we hope our children will still be able to catch tomorrow.

Before you buy it, order it or take it home, check the list.

What species is it? How was it caught? Where did it come from?

Those are three small questions that can make a surprisingly big difference.

Disclaimer: The information in this post has been synthesized from various public research materials and official internet sources. Seafood sustainability statuses are dynamic and subject to change at any time. Always check the live WWF-SASSI platforms for the most up-to-date classifications.