By Timony Siebert
For many of us, nothing’s more indulgent than tucking into a delicious seafood platter. Whether it’s a succulent fillet of fish grilled to perfection, a pot of steaming mussels delicately flavoured with a hint of garlic and wine, melt-in-the mouth strips of calamari or a pile of pink juicy prawns that tempts you, seafood has never been in greater demand by diners. Today, our seafood choices are driven by more than just the romance of seafood. High in the good fats and low in the bad ones, people are considering seafood as a healthy alternative protein source. At a time when many consumers regard products from conventional land-based farms with increasing suspicion, the allure of wild-caught seafood is certainly growing in popularity. Spurred on by the globalization of markets, seafood has become the most traded primary commodity in the world. Made even more fashionable by the trend setters in the culinary world, seafood has exploded onto restaurant menus and retail store shelves everywhere.
But this insatiable demand for seafood has come at a high price for many of our marine ecosystems and very little information has been available to consumers up until now about the environmental impact posed by the seafood they enjoy. While most conscientious consumers now understand the issues behind organic food or energy-saving lightbulbs, few have ever stopped to wonder where their seafood comes from. For many of us, out of sight is out of mind, but it is becoming increasingly clear that we can no longer afford to ignore the impact that commercial fishing is having on our marine ecosystems.
The truth is that many of our oceans’ fish stocks are in trouble, not just locally but across the world. Four fifths (80%) of global fish populations are either fished to their maximum or beyond and industrial fishing methods frequently damage marine habitats that are critical to the survival of marine life. Some sources report that commercial fishing has wiped out 90% of the oceans large predatory fish such as sharks, swordfish, billfish and tuna. With the global per capita rate of seafood consumption almost doubling from 9 kg in 1961 to 16.5 kg in 2004, consumer demand for fishy delights shows no slowing down. In South Africa, we have not been spared and linefish stocks in particular are at seriously low levels, with some species such as kabeljou at less than 5% of their original breeding stock biomass. Even stocks of well managed and more resilient fish such as hake and sardine have seen dramatic fluctuations in recent times. In a few short decades, we have rapidly altered the delicate balance of our oceans and, in the process, have become the ocean’s most dangerous predator.
Fortunately though, over the last decade there has been a global awakening to the plight of our oceans. Issues pertaining to sustainable seafood have gained much traction in the media, largely driven by engagement with sustainable seafood campaigns and the formation of trade organizations, such as the Seafood Choices Alliance, and eco-labels, such as the Marine Stewardship Council or MSC. Locally, WWF’s Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative, or SASSI, has made significant progress in helping consumers make more informed seafood choices and more people are considering the implications of their seafood choices. A number of tools are available to advise consumers, such as SASSI’s Consumer’s Seafood pocket guides and the FishMS service.
Using a system similar to other international campaigns, the colour-coded SASSI pocket guide categorises South African seafood species according to their conservation status and can be used to make the most sustainable and legal seafood choice; Green species are the best choice, Orange species should be heeded with caution and Red species should be avoided completely as they are illegal to sell in South Africa. In a world first, FishMS brings the list to you via a short message service. By texting the name of the fish to the number 079-499-8795, the service will send you an immediate response telling you whether to tuck in, think twice or avoid completely. As a recreational fisher, this service can be particularly useful, offering additional information such as minimum sizes and bag limits for linefish.
Savvy seafood eaters are also beginning to demand that restaurants pay closer attention to the products that they offer and many restaurants, retailers, chefs, caterers and franchise operators are responding accordingly. The food service industry is in a powerful position to guide popular taste simply by what they choose to put on the menu or stock in store. Most of the seafood species under threat in South Africa are the same as those frequently found on local restaurant menus (think kob, cape salmon and kingklip). By diversifying their use of seafood and the varieties offered to customers, restaurants and chefs can expand consumer palates and take a positive step toward sustainability through decreasing the demand for these traditionally popular species. Through its Restaurant Participation scheme, SASSI now engages with a host of local seafood eateries and franchise operators and offers a chef support programme additionally. Some major retailers such as Pick n Pay and Woolworths have also signed up with SASSI to improve their seafood procurement and help ensure the sustainability of our marine ecosystems.
After reading the facts, hopefully you are considering how important seafood sustainability is to you, and what the consequences of your personal seafood selections are. Take a stand and join the growing number of discerning consumers, chefs, restaurants, retailers and others by buying seafood from responsible, trusted and sustainable sources. Through your purchasing decisions and behaviour, you can substantially influence change and help preserve marine biodiversity through supporting responsible methods of production, lending support to local fishing and farming communities, and helping to take marine conservation far beyond the dinner table.
For more information about SASSI, SASSI restaurants and the SASSI Restaurant, Retailer or Chef Participation Programme, you can visit the SASSI website at www.wwf.org.za/sassi . SASSI restaurants are also available on www.Dining-out.co.za.
SASSI is a collaborative initiative by WWF-SA and others that aims to improve the conservation status of over-exploited seafood species through education and awareness. The Green Trust (a partnership between WWF-SA and Nedbank) and Pick n Pay are proud supporters of SASSI.
Suggested reading:
‘The end of the line’ by Charles Clover
‘Cod’ by Mark Kurlansky
‘Bottom feeder’ by Taros Grescoe
