Have you heard about the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI)? It was started by WWF in 2004 to help to protect sea life around South Africa from being overfished, as well as to draw more attention to marine conservation efforts.

It aims to shift consumer demand away from the over-exploited seafood by categorizing them into three colours - green, orange and red.

Fish in the green section are the most sustainable and prolific, and thus completely safe to consume, while the orange section is for fish which, while not illegal to catch or consume, are still in danger of being overfished. Consumers are asked to think carefully before selecting a fish off the orange section. The red section is for fish which are illegal to buy or sell. Consumers are asked to avoid these species completely.

Visit http://www.wwfsassi.co.za for more information and to download your handy pocket guide.

Alternatively, if you are out at a restaurant and not sure if the fish you are about to eat is safe, sms the type of fish to 079 499 8795. You will get a response advising you of the colour status of the species.