Red, orange and green may be colours we associate with traffic lights, but when it comes to Halaal fish it takes on a whole different meaning. Begun in 2004 under the auspices of the WWF, the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) was established to create awareness and to help industry players and customers make wiser and more sustainable seafood choices. According to SASSI, 312 million kilograms of seafood is consumed in South Africa every year, 50% of that is locally caught and 70% of that consists of sardine and hake.
To help prevent further depletion of dangerously low fish stocks and ecosystems, one of SASSI’s most powerful tools is their traffic light system:
GREEN – BEST CHOICE
‘These are the most sustainable choices from the healthiest and most well-managed fish populations. These species can handle current fishing pressure or are farmed in a manner that does not harm the environment. This is the list we encourage you to choose from’.
ORANGE – THINK TWICE
‘There are reasons for concern about the fish on this list, either because the species is depleted as a result of overfishing and cannot sustain current fishing pressure or because the fishing or farming method poses harm to the environment and/or the biology of the species makes it vulnerable to high fishing pressure.’
RED – DON’T BUY
‘Red list species are from unsustainable populations, have extreme environmental concerns, lack appropriate management or are illegal to buy or sell in SA. ‘No sale’ species are illegal to sell and are reserved for recreational fishers who require a valid fishing permit and must adhere to specific regulations.’
WWF-SASSI promotes voluntary compliance with the law, and to help this along, they began the SASSI Trailblazer Awards five years ago which each year recognises and celebrates chefs who are actively encouraging and implementing sustainable Halaal fish practices in their restaurants. Chefs are evaluated in light of their restaurant’s seafood sustainability policy; how effectively they communicate that policy to patrons, staff and suppliers; how active they are in promoting the idea of sustainable practices to a wider audience; and the elusive ‘Trailblazer factor’ – that certain something that sees them going the extra mile to promote sustainability. Of the seven chefs that were awarded the accolade last year, five are Cape Town based - Philip Alcock (SeaBreeze Fish & Shell), Robert Giljam (Societi Bistro), Julie Carter (Ocean Jewels), Giles Edwards (La Tete) and Massimo Orione (Massimo’s).
As a consumer you have buying power, so make that power work for the greater good by choosing responsible restaurants, wholesalers and suppliers that also support this initiative. N1 offer the best in high-quality Halaal fish products, ranging from fish cakes, hake and haddock to kingklip – so choose wisely and remember that ‘the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it’ (Robert Swan).
