Guest post by the Rocking the Daisies Team

Some time ago we recommended that seafood fans use the SASSI guide when deciding on what fish to buy or order at restaurants.

We’re pleased to see that the first South African food store has realised the importance of preserving our marine reserves, and has taken the idea one step further. Woolworths will now start labelling the fish on its shelves with green, orange or red to indicate the status of the fish.

(But fortunately you won’t see any fish labelled red at Woolworths. Status red indicates the fish is protected and/or illegal to sell.)

This is a great example of a retailer helping customers to make the correct purchasing decisions. And, as the store points out, it might even introduce you to seafood that you haven’t previously experienced.

“There are also quite a few sustainable fish which may be unfamiliar to our customers but which offer great eating quality, and we’d like to promote these more with our customers,” said Woolworths Head of Foods, Julian Novak.

A blue label indicates the fish has been farmed or imported, and falls outside the SASSI classification. However, Woolworths assures us that these “blue” fish have been legally and responsibly sourced.

So do your bit for preserving our marine live, and hunt out those green coded fish at your local Woolworths.

Thanks Mother City Living for giving us a heads up on this.

Rocking the Daisies, South Africa’s first carbon-neutral music festival, achieved carbon-neutral status for the first time and this year will do the same thanks to the use of environmentally friendly practices and products. The festival’s motto is: play hard, tread lightly.