The billionaire founder, chairman and majority owner of industrial giant Ineos has stepped up his efforts to protect and grow populations of Atlantic salmon.Meanwhile, both the Reykjavík Grapevine and Sigrún Davíðsdóttir's Icelog have some issues:
Jim Ratcliffe, a keen angler and ranked third on the last Sunday Times Rich List of Britain’s wealthiest people, with a personal fortune estimated at around £18 billion, launched a major research programme in support of his salmon conservation work last month.
The project has now moved up a gear with the planting of eggs in areas where, it is hoped, they will have more chance of survival.
Researchers on the programme are also investigating the reasons behind falling salmon numbers.
Although their work is focused on Iceland, it could have a major bearing on efforts to boost numbers of wild salmon in Scottish rivers – and in turn angling tourism – after years of decline.
Only 3-5% of salmon hatched in UK rivers return to breed, compared with 25% two decades ago.
Mr Ratcliffe’s funding of the Strengur project in Iceland, with all profits being ploughed back into salmon conservation, allowed egg planting to take place on the River Selma from late October until early November....MUCH MORE
...Icelanders are concernedWith the Icelog running a lengthy post:
Ratcliffe’s extensive purchase of land in Northern Iceland, over the previous years, has raised concerns among Icelanders. Just recently, he added land in Þistilfjörður to his portfolio and acquired the Strengur Angling Club, that manages rivers in Vopnafjörður. He now is one of the biggest landowners on the Island but the ostensible reason for the investment –protection of the salmon- has diffused some of these reservations....MORE
Jim Ratcliffe and his feudal hold of Icelandic salmon rivers and farming communities
