Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the city, I wish to welcome you warmly to Girona.

It is a pleasure for us to have you here at an event that once again is underlying the very close ties between the University of Girona and the city council. We are a "university city", something we not only say, but also practice. We have a great university that has grown in volume and excellence to become the institution we can enjoy today. It has produced some great professionals and made major contributions both to the city and to the country. This has only been possible thanks to the effort and professionalism of a lot of people.

Salmonids, as you are very well aware, are a staple item of our diet and a product that throughout history has played a prominent role in our economies. In our region we are aware of the importance of the essential products in our diet that guarantee the quality of our world-acclaimed cuisine. We know that because the excellence of our cuisine is based on two pillars: the professionalism and creativity of our chefs, and the quality of the products with which they work.

At a time when not only salmonids, but also many other food products are endangered because of overfishing or malpractice, enlightened minds are required to seek imaginative yet feasible solutions to bring an end to a chaos that could yield many economic, health and social problems.

I am therefore encouraging you to work hard over the next few days and to debate as much as necessary. The bar has been set high, which is why I am urging you to make this meeting a turning point to provide administrations with a roadmap that they can implement in the coming years.

I hope that the next few days will be not only of scientific but also of personal benefit and you will be able to discover some of the most iconic spots in Girona, a city that is making itself well-known worldwide. In the last four years we have confidently invested in quality tourism based on a first-rate range of culture that is winning great acclaim both inside and outside the country. We have also pledged to turn Girona into a congress city, as we have the capacity, infrastructures and enthusiasm necessary to do so.

I wish you a great stay in Girona and a better symposium; I shall try to follow it closely and I will be delighted to study its conclusions.

Thank you. Go ahead!