Help Conserve Our Fish Species SASSI RED LIST

The South African Species Green, Orange And Red List: Conservation Of South African Fish Species And Best Choices For Table Fish

I am sure at one point or another you have all heard of the red list or SASSI. These are the people involved in the conservation and research of South African fish species and ultimately they find out which fish are sustainable and which fish should never be bought or sold. I have the lists and information regarding the three colours (Green - Best choice, Orange - Caution & Red - No sale) below... This information was obtained from http://www.wwfsassi.co.za/?m=1... Please be careful in South Africa and get to know the species on the red list. It is very important you know what the conservation status of certain angling species are in South Africa... If you find a restaurant in South Africa serving fish they should not be, talk to the manager or take it up with a higher authority such as ORI or SASSI or any other marine institute. The fish stocks in South Africa are running out fast and something needs to be done to protect these species... We can all do our part even if it is just by spreading the word or making a phone call...

Have a look at the daily bag limits and legal minimum sizes so you can do your part as a recreational fisherman!

DISCLAIMER: Please double check with SASSI to ensure this table is correct, as the fish on this table might be moved to different "colours".

Green Best Choice

The most sustainable choices from the healthiest and most well managed fish populations. These fish species can handle current fishing pressure:

Alaskan Salmon
Anchovy
Angelfish
Atlantic Mackerel
Dorado
Gurnard (Offshore Trawl)
Hake
Herring
Kob (Farmed Kob only)
Maasbunker
Mussels
Oystrers
Panga
Queen Mackerel
Sand Soldier
Santer
Sardine
Snoek
Squid
Tuna (Pole Caught only)
West Coast Rock Lobster
Yellowtail

Orange - Caution Think Twice!

Exercise caution when choosing these fish as there are reasons for concern:

  1. Rare from overfishing and cant sustain current fishing pressure.
  2. Fisheries may cause environmental damage and have high bycatch.
  3. The biology of the fish species makes them vulnerable to high fishing pressure
Abalone (Farmed)
Atlantic Salmon
Cape Dory
Carpenter
Catface Rockcod
Englishman
Geelbeck
Hake (Long line caught)
Hottentot
Jacopever
King Mackerel
Kingklip
Kob (Line caught or farmed at sea)
Ling
Monk
Prawns
Red Roman
Sharks (Line caught)
Skates & Rays
Slinger
Sole
Swordfish
Tuna (Local longline)
White Stumpnose (Line caught)
Yellowtail (Locally farmed)

Red - No Sale - DON'T BUY!

These fish are illegal to buy or sell in South Africa. Some are specially protected and others are not allowed for sale reserves for recreational fishing only.

Baardman River Bream
Banded Galjoen River Snapper
Blacktail Sawfish
Black Musselcracker Seventy Four
Brindle Bass Sharks (Trawl Caught)
Bronze Bream Southern pompano
Cape Stumpnose Spotted Grunter
East Coast Rock Lobster Spotted Gully Shark
Galjoen Springer
Garrick Stonebream
John Brown West Coast Steenbras
Kingfish White Musselcracker
Knife Jaw White Steenbras
Kob (Trawl caught) White Edged Rockcod
Large-spot Pompano Yellowbelly Rockcod
Dageraad
Natal Stumpnose
Natal Wrasse
Potato Bass
Ragged Tooth Shark
Red Stumpnose
Tuna (Imported or longline)
Scotsman
 

Please do your bit to conserve our fish species, practice catch and release and please obey catch restrictions, size limits and closed seasons! Please email me if you are unsure!