The rector of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Juan Viaño Rey, the Galician Minister for Culture, Education and Universities, Román Rodríguez González, and the ISGA2015 chairman, Paulino Martínez Portela, welcomed ISGA attendants. Next, a short review of the history of aquaculture and applied genetics in Spain, by Dr. Martínez Portela, and a master conference by invited speaker Prof. John Wooliams officially kicked the conference off.