SA restaurants ‘all at sea’ when it comes to sustainability

Many restaurants in South Africa are “all at sea” when it comes to sourcing sustainable seafood and are still selling species that are red or orange-listed by the WWF Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative (WWF-Sassi).

A new report by WWF-SA found that hake, calamari (squid) and prawns are the top three items on menus in the country, followed by snoek (barracouta), kingklip and salmon. Seasonal menu items, which tend to include a larger array of red-and orange-listed species, include snoek, tuna, oysters, prawns and kob (kabeljou). 

A WWF-Sassi national survey in 2022 shows that consumers trust retailers and restaurants to make sustainable seafood choices when buying stock. 

“But while restaurants may know where their seafood comes from, there is very little knowledge about catch methods and how this affects the sustainability of each species. Sustainability seems to be of little concern overall or, because of the complexity, is often overlooked,” the report said.

The results were from a sample of 216 restaurants representing the four predominant provinces serving high volumes of seafood, namely the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

In the Western Cape and Gauteng, seafood contributes “75% or more” to total restaurant sales. For the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, there is a relatively equal split of seafood, contributing 15% to 50% and 50% to 75% to total sales.

Fish is bought from seafood suppliers (companies that source, process and distribute products), informal markets, specialist importers, fishers with recreational permits, fish shops, small-scale fishers with permits and independent buyers.

Seafood suppliers are the primary supply source cited for most species in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. In the Eastern Cape, fish shops and independent buyers play a larger role.

“Generally, throughout the supply chain there seems to be little desire to know the sustainability status of seafood and little attention is paid to it,” the report states. Covid-19 exacerbated this because sustainability was deprioritised because of the effects of the lockdowns. 

“Consumers seldom inquire at restaurants about the sustainability status of the seafood they purchase, and restaurants seldom question suppliers.”

Despite policies, laws and regulations, seafood listed on the WWF-Sassi red list is frequently on the plates of restaurant patrons. 

“Many line-fish species in South Africa have been overexploited or have collapsed because of fishing pressure and unsustainable harvesting. There is also concern about the significant threat related to incidental bycatch, which results in the dramatic decline of many marine species.”

By simply meeting the public’s demand for species that are regarded as unsustainable or buying from fisheries that employ irresponsible practices, “the industry is contributing to the decline of these species”. 

This will have not only a long-term effect on the oceans but also “far-reaching socio-economic consequences for the fishing industry and people’s livelihoods”.

The report found that a lack of tracing systems and knowledge gaps about the origins and catch methods of fish species made it difficult to accurately monitor restaurant trade.

Red-listed species on menus

The report found that both black (orange-listed) and white (red-listed) musselcracker are served in the Eastern Cape, on a “regular” basis. While believed by some respondents to be “caught by line” (30%), most were unaware of the catch method (60%). Musselcracker is sourced predominantly from informal fish markets and independent buyers, but fishers with recreational permits were also mentioned. 

The Eastern Cape sells more giant tiger prawns than any other province (75%), followed by red-listed pink prawns (63%) that appear to be sourced on a “readily available” basis (75%). 

Most restaurants are “unsure” of how the prawns are farmed or captured and many believe that their prawns originate from South Africa (88%). Prawns in the Eastern Cape are sourced through informal fish markets (63%), independent buyers (63%) and fish shops (50%). 

Red stumpnose appears to be sourced from informal fish markets and independent buyers. Tuna appears on set and seasonal menus. The set menu tuna included the red-listed bluefin tuna (known to be sourced from the Atlantic) and green-listed skipjack tuna. 

Although most respondents were apparently unaware of where skipjack tuna comes from, restaurants in the Eastern Cape cited gill nets as the catch method, potentially showing that it is on the red list. 

On the seasonal menu, many were “unsure” of what type of tuna they sell, of how it is caught and which country it originates from. Tuna in the Eastern Cape is sourced from fish shops, independent buyers, informal fish markets and seafood suppliers. 

White and red steenbras are both sourced from fish shops, whereas white steenbras are also sourced from independent buyers, as often as occasionally/weekly (red steenbras) or when in season (white steenbras).

Restaurant menus in Gauteng

The report says Gauteng’s seasonal menu is littered with red-listed species, including “no sale” recreational species. 

The most popular seasonal item served is kob, a red-listed species. All three kob species are depleted along South African shores because they are caught using multiple methods. 

“The seasonal menu reflects which species are caught when fish aggregate and come together to spawn,” the report said.

Other red-listed species on menus in the province include galjoen, which is considered a “line-caught” fish and to be sourced from “seafood suppliers” on “rare” occasions (less than once a month). 

Both white and black musselcracker are served in Gauteng “when in season”. The fish is thought to be caught by line or rod and reel and sourced mostly through fish shops, but otherwise from independent buyers. 

Prawns are popular on set and seasonal menus in Gauteng and are mostly red-listed Mozambican prawns, pink prawns and Indian shrimp sourced from seafood suppliers.

The report said there was also mention of informal fish markets and even fishers with recreational permits. Giant tiger prawns and other red-listed species, including whiteleg shrimp and speckled shrimp, are also sold. 

KwaZulu-Natal menus

Garrick is served when in season. In KwaZulu-Natal, it is sourced through informal fish markets, specialist importers and fishers with recreational permits.

The province offers a balance of white and black musselcracker, mostly when in season. Musselcracker is mostly sourced from seafood suppliers but can also be bought through specialist importers.

There were two mentions of the fully protected, red-listed potato bass appearing on menus in KwaZulu-Natal. “Data provided was insufficient, so it remains unclear from whom or where it was sourced.” 

The prawns sold in the province are mostly red-listed pink prawns and giant tiger prawns, but other red-listed species such as Mozambican prawns and Indian shrimp were also mentioned, the report said. 

Mozambique, bordering the KwaZulu-Natal coastline, is the most commonly cited country of origin, followed by Vietnam and Thailand. A large proportion of respondents admitted to being “unsure” about the country of origin (37%), and especially how the prawns are caught (100%). 

The largest source for prawns is cited to be seafood suppliers (69%) but fishers with recreational permits were also mentioned. 

White steenbras, listed as a “no sale” item, is the third most popular seasonal seafood item on menus in KwaZulu-Natal, far outranking the other three provinces. It is predominantly sourced through fish shops but also seafood suppliers and independent buyers. It appears to be available as often as weekly. Most respondents claimed to be unaware of how this species is caught.

Western Cape

The report said the Western Cape kob is a combination of dusky kob (red or green listed) and silver kob (red-listed). 

“As most restaurants claim their kob is caught by line, the chances are that it is on the red list as line-fishing is red listed for both dusky and silver kob,” it said.

Western Cape kob is sourced occasionally or regularly, mostly through seafood suppliers, but also from small-scale fishers and informal markets. 

Restaurants, too, serve red-listed Mozambican prawns, which is of concern because these are supplied “as readily as is needed” or “occasionally/once a week”. 

The report noted how there were individual mentions of red-listed, “no sale” white steenbras being sold in the Western Cape. Respondents listed “informal fish markets” as a source.