The documentary Silent Rivers (Árnar þagna) by Óskar Pál Sveinsson explores the impact of open-net pen salmon farming on ecosystems and the livelihoods of farmers who depend on wild salmon angling in Norway and Iceland.

In June 2024, the Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) ordered the emergency closure of 33 of the country’s most famous salmon rivers due to the severe damage that open-net farming and climate change have inflicted on wild salmon populations. In an instant, generations of families who built their livelihoods on angling rights saw their primary source of income vanish.

The film features moving interviews with Norwegian river owners, filmed just days after their worlds were turned upside down, alongside rural Icelanders speaking out about the bleak future that may soon await them and their families.

Produced by: The Icelandic Wildlife Fund and Redd Villaksen
Directed by: Óskar Pál Sveinsson

Silent rivers