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Orri Vigfusson Receives the 2012 Heritage Award

September 11, 2012

Congratulation to 2007 Goldman Prize recipient Orri Vigfusson on receiving the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s 2012 Heritage Award.

The annual award honors ‘individuals and organizations whose commitment to the sport of fly fishing and natural resource conservation sets standards to which we all should aspire.’ Vigfusson will be honored at a celebratory dinner on October 3rd in New York City.

A native of Iceland, Vigfusson is an avid outdoorsman and lifelong conservationist. For over 25 years, Vigfusson has utilized business skills and negotiating to effectively protect the North Atlantic’s natural resources.

He was awarded the Goldman Prize in 2007 for his efforts to protect dwindling wild salmon populations from over fishing. In the early 1990’s he established the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF) to raise money for an innovative series of ‘buyout’ programs which purchase fishing rights from commercial industries.

Over the last 20 years these programs have led to a 75% drop in commercial open-sea fishing in the North Atlantic and have saved over 5 million wild salmon to date. Congratulations indeed, Orri!

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