The Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) was initiated by WWF South Africa in collaboration with other networking partners in November 2004 in order to inform and educate all participants in the seafood trade, from wholesalers to restaurateurs through to seafood lovers. The initiative builds on an earlier project started in the KwaZulu-Natal Province which sought to educate restaurant dealers about the Marine Living Resources Act and other marine conservation issues.

In recognition of the fact that developing a sustainable seafood industry requires a holistic approach, one which addresses all aspects along the chain of custody from the fisherman’s hook all the way to the final product delivered to the consumer at their local fish shop or restaurant, the WWF Sustainable Fisheries Programme was created in 2007. This new programme brought together both Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) and the Responsible Fisheries Programme (RFP), effectively closing the loop from boat to plate...