By Faye Knight
28 January – WWF’s Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (WWF-SASSI) has released its updated list to guide seafood lovers on how to select the most sustainable seafoods and highlights the need for continued caution in what consumers selection.
While this update brings good news for the Maasbanker (Cape Horse Mackerel) and the Yellowfin Tuna, concern still shrouds the Anchovy and Sardine populations which both lie in the orange-listed species, a staple food source of the African Penguin.
The African Penguin has been declared as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 8,750 breeding pairs remaining in the country and their numbers decreasing by 8% each year. Overfishing has put the African Penguin up against a much larger threat. With the decrease of food availability, these birds struggle to find sufficient food sources to sustain both themselves and their chicks.
However, this updated list allows for the public to help where they can, putting the power to protect both the oceans and the precious bird populations in South Africa. Kirtanya Maharaj, WWF-SASSI Outreach and Awareness Manager, says, “by simply choosing green-listed seafood South Africans can play a meaningful role in supporting healthier fish populations and more resilient oceans.”
While these birds combat the ongoing climate change crises and the large fisheries invading their waters, we can make a difference by following the guidelines provided by WWF-SASSI and being cautious of conservation.
