Hake, calamari (squid) and prawns are the most popular seafood items on set restaurant menus in South Africa, along with seasonal choices such as snoek and tuna.
But these choices are often not sustainably sourced, caught or farmed, says a new report by the WWF Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative (WWF-SASSI).
“When we asked chefs and restaurant [managers] if they knew whether their seafood was sustainable, a lot of them said ‘yes’. But we found a big disconnect when we looked at their menus,” says WWF-SASSI manager Pavitray Pillay, co-author of the What’s On the Menu: A Sustainable Seafood Survey of South African Restaurants report, released on Monday.
Prawns, for example, are a seasonal best seller, but the report flags six out of seven types being sold in restaurants as unsustainable choices. For example, the top-selling pink prawns (Haliporoides triarthrus) imported from Mozambique are caught in deep water by trawl nets.
“This not only results in high levels of by-catch but also affects other endangered, threatened and protected species,” the report states.
Other “seasonal” favourites on menus — including snoek, tuna, oysters and kob (kabeljou) — are among an array of species listed as red and orange under WWF-SASSI.
The green/orange/red sustainability categories are based on the species, origins and how they were caught or farmed, and the listing is available online. Red = don’t buy. Orange = think twice. Green = best choice.
“There is no traceability and transparency ... on what was caught, how it was caught and which country it is from,” said Pillay. Knowledge about the catch methods and how they impact on the survival of species was low overall.
“People are eating Argentinian hake, Patagonian calamari and Russian sardines. We export 50% of our catch, but we also import 50%.” Hake from Argentina, Chile and Peru are all red-listed.
The mislabelling of seafood was another issue raised in the report. Pillay said, for example: “‘Linefish’ tells us how the fish is caught, not what it is. ‘King or queen prawns’ give the size, not the species. ‘Salmon trout’ does not exist. The fish is either salmon or rainbow trout.”
Cape Salmon (geelbek) and Rock salmon (river snapper) are in fact not salmon species. Both are endemic South African fish and red-listed, the report notes.
The farming of seafood is widely seen as sustainable, but Pillay noted that farming, in mangrove swamps for example, can be irresponsible.
“Mangroves are vital ecosystems for junior fish and barriers to storm surges. They are the interface of ocean and freshwater. But a lot of prawn farms are based in mangroves,” she said.
Where seafood is sourced matters, and suppliers range from big companies to informal fish markets, specialist importers, recreational fishers, fish shops and small-scale fishers with permits. “Buying from recreational fishers is illegal in SA,” added Pillay.
There is no transparency…on what was caught, how it was caught and which country it is from
— WWF-SASSI manager Pavitray Pillay
Most species in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were bought from seafood suppliers, while fish shops and independent buyers played a bigger role in the Eastern Cape.
Pillay said sustainable farming related not only to the environment but also to social and labour issues, for example, treatment of women who worked on farms in Vietnam.
“We have to find creative ways to engage the industry and the chefs so that they hold suppliers accountable. Chefs are like rock stars with celebrity type status and a few chefs have stuck with us for 20 years [since SASSI launched],” she said.
Independent company Research Mesh conducted the latest survey for WWF-SASSI. Online seafood surveys were conducted among 216 restaurants across the Eastern and Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in 2019 and 2021 on the marine resources they bought and sold.
The 2022 WWF-SASSI national consumer survey suggests that diners “depend on and trust retailers and restaurants to make the sustainable choices for them at the procurement stage”.
Pillay said, for example: “The Western Cape is getting busloads of tourists who come to eat the seafood platter. They are not asking whether seafood is sustainable or not.
“We would like restaurant managers and owners to be better informed, take responsibility and to see sustainability as an opportunity,” said Pillay.
She also urged consumers to ask about whether their choice of seafood is sustainable and make decisions which favour species and generations to come.
