The North Atlantic Salmon Fund

What The North Atlantic Salmon Fund does

The North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF; Icelandic: Verndarsjóður Villtra Laxastofna) is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1989 in Reykjavik, Iceland, by Icelandic businessman and conservationist Orri Vigfusson (1942–2017). Headquartered in Reykjavik with international affiliate chapters spanning the North Atlantic from Norway to the United States, NASF's core mission is protecting wild Atlantic salmon populations against four primary threats: open net pen salmon farming (sea lice, genetic introgression, and pollution), commercial overfishing at high seas feeding grounds, habitat destruction from hydroelectric and industrial development, and aquaculture-driven ecological damage. Its product is not technology but negotiated outcomes: high-seas conservation agreements brokered with the governments of Greenland (since 1993) and the Faroe Islands (since 1991); local drift-net and river-net buyout programs that closed fisheries in Iceland (1996), Wales (1997), England (2003), Ireland (2006), and Scotland (2007); habitat-protection advocacy (including opposition to the proposed Hvammsvirkjun dam on Iceland's Thjorsa River); and the Hvita River landowner net buyout begun in 2021 to protect approximately 1,000 spawning salmon annually. The Faroe Islands agreement ran until the fishery was permanently shuttered by government in 2022, validating NASF's negotiated-buyout model.

NASF delivers these outcomes through a small (1–10 employee), volunteer-led staff and an international coalition of partners including the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Patagonia, LOOP Tackle, Landvernd, the Icelandic Wildlife Fund, Laxinn Lifir, and the German registered association Wanderfische ohne Grenzen (NASF Germany, established 2015). Its funding comes from voluntary contributions — individual donations, institutional supporters, and a tiered membership program priced at $10, $25, $50, and $100 — with revenue not publicly disclosed. Additional channels include the Salmon Summit conference series (launched 2023 in Reykjavik), website content, Facebook and YouTube for awareness, and online petition/advocacy campaigns targeting policy on aquaculture. Following Vigfusson's death in 2017, The Orri Fund was established to continue his work, and Elvar Örn Friðriksson was hired as Executive Director of NASF Iceland in 2020 after three years on the board, with Friðleifur E. Guðmundsson serving as Chairman.

Name

The North Atlantic Salmon Fund

Legal name

North Atlantic Salmon Fund

Website

https://nasf.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF) is a Reykjavik-based non-profit founded in 1989 that protects wild Atlantic salmon by brokering high-seas conservation agreements, funding local net buyouts, and advocating against open net pen salmon farming across the North Atlantic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Fees: NASF operates as a non-profit conservation organization funded through donations from individuals, supporters, and partner organizations. Revenue comes from membership fees and direct donations from conservation-minded individuals.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NASF is a non-profit conservation organization that protects wild Atlantic salmon populations across the North Atlantic through commercial conservation agreements, net buyout programs that compensate fishermen to cease unsustainable harvesting, habitat protection initiatives opposing hydroelectric dams and industrial aquaculture, and public advocacy campaigns. The organization funds its work through donations and membership fees.

Product overview

The North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF) is a non-profit conservation organization, not a technology product company. Its offering consists of conservation programs and advocacy services focused on protecting wild Atlantic salmon populations. The core portfolio includes: (1) Conservation Agreements and Net Buyouts, encompassing high-seas buyouts in Greenland/Faroe Islands and local net buyouts in multiple countries; (2) Fight Against Open Net Pen Aquaculture, an advocacy campaign documenting environmental harms; (3) Crucial Habitat Protection, opposing dams and protecting salmon waterways; (4) Salmon Summit, an annual conservation conference; and (5) Membership/Donation programs for public engagement. There are no technology products, software platforms, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Total catch in Greenland and Faroe Islands reduced sharply or stopped through conservation agreements
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Government of GreenlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991NASF brokered agreements with Greenland since 1993 to protect salmon feeding grounds. Latest agreement established licensing and reporting regime overseen by Greenland Fisheries Ministry, reducing commercial fishing and keeping subsistence quotas at record lows.
• Government of Faroe IslandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991First conservation agreement brokered by Orri Vigfusson in Faroe Islands in 1991. Agreement stayed in place until 2022 when government permanently closed the fishery, validating NASF's approach and setting stage for government action.
• Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partner in salmon conservation efforts. ASF and NASF work together on high seas buyout programs, research on wild salmon populations, and advocacy against open net pen salmon farming. ASF has been conducting research on wild salmon in Canada for over five decades.
• PatagoniamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting NASF's conservation mission. Patagonia, led by founder Yvon Chouinard, shares passion for environmental conservation and wild salmon protection.
• LOOP TacklemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTackle company partner supporting NASF's conservation work. LOOP Tackle is among the key supporters of the organization.
• Landvernd (Icelandic Environment Association)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIcelandic environmental organization partnering with NASF on the Show Support campaign against open net pen salmon farming.
• Icelandic Wildlife FundsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIcelandic non-profit focusing on environmental protection and wild salmonid conservation, collaborating on advocacy campaigns.
• Laxinn LifirsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIcelandic salmon conservation organization partnering with NASF on advocacy campaigns.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental nonprofit focused on habitat and species protection including freshwater and marine ecosystems. Operates at much larger scale than NASF and represents a broader incumbent peer in environmental conservation.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): One of the largest global environmental conservation organizations. While not salmon-specific, WWF engages in wild fish and habitat conservation and represents a broader incumbent peer with overlapping donor base and advocacy channels.

Regional players

• Landvernd (Icelandic Environment Association): Iceland's national environmental association, partnering with NASF on the Show Support campaign against open-net-pen salmon farming. Operates in the same Icelandic geography with overlapping environmental advocacy focus.

Direct peers

• Salmon & Trout Conservation (UK): UK charity focused on conservation of wild Atlantic salmon and trout, addressing threats from pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing. Closely aligned mission and constituency with NASF, though geographically focused on UK waters.
• Icelandic Wildlife Fund: Icelandic non-profit dedicated to environmental protection and wild salmonid conservation. Collaborates directly with NASF on advocacy campaigns, sharing both geography and species-specific conservation mission.
• Atlantic Salmon Federation: Canada-based wild Atlantic salmon conservation organization and NASF's primary long-standing strategic partner. ASF and NASF jointly broker high-seas buyout agreements and collaborate on wild salmon research, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Redd Villaksen (Save the Wild Salmon): Norwegian organization protecting wild salmon populations and opposing threats from aquaculture, hydropower, and salmon lice. Listed as a key NASF supporter and partner with directly comparable mission and constituency.
• Laxinn Lifir: Icelandic salmon conservation organization partnering with NASF on advocacy campaigns. Closely comparable peer given shared species focus and Icelandic operating geography.
• Wanderfische ohne Grenzen – NASF Germany: German registered association established in 2015 as a regional affiliate of NASF focused on migratory fish conservation. Operates as a direct extension of NASF's mission in German-speaking markets.

Others

• Patagonia: Corporate environmental partner and listed supporter of NASF. While a for-profit outdoor apparel company, Patagonia's environmental grant-making program and founder Yvon Chouinard's activism make it thematically connected as a corporate environmental ecosystem partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLM9jpYu36A1PypXI7CXfSQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/northatlanticsalmonfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nasf-iceland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The North Atlantic Salmon Fund