Dear salmon friends
Every year we need to raise funds to help salmon return to native rivers. Our core business is buying out nets and maintaining open seas moratorium. We have gained trust amongst netsmen worldwide but naturally we need to pay them fair compensation. Probably 85% of the North Atlantic feeding grounds are now covered by commercial agreements. Our campaign is very focused on the remaining nets in Northern Norway, the Foyle district and coastal nets in Scotland.
In addition to nets we work to improve and enhance salmon habitat in rivers. We support efforts to take down dams in rivers, efforts to put sustainability into salmon farming and where rivers are dead, or virtually dead we support disciplined stocking programs in line with the methodology developed and successfully completed by Peter Gray on the river Tyne in England.
NASF needs funds for many projects but this year we have specific fund raising targets as follows
High Seas : $ 350.000
Coastal nets: $ 260.000
Russia & Norway Campaign : $ 75.000
New stocking project in Maine: $ 345.000
Last but not least we promote our tourist angling industry throughout. We try to get more people to come fishing, spending money in our rural areas and to raise the value of our estates. We advise on river management on both sides of the Atlantic, helping to prioritize, economically and effectively for fast recovery. Higher salmon catches mean higher revenues for our rural areas and related industries. We facilitate angling journalists writing about rivers, filmmakers, websites, TV stations, publication of books and we promote film evenings and functions in major Cities to widen awareness. Always however, phasing out nets is our main focus.
Our work is entirely funded by donations and without these we would be unable to continue with our dedication to bringing salmon stocks back to their natural abundance for the benefit of all of us.
Can you help NASF this year?
I will be delighted to answer all your questions.
Orri Vigfusson