As chairman of the International Seaweed Association, it is a great pleasure and honor for me to open the XIIth International Seaweed Symposium here in Silo Paulo, in Brazil.
We have come to Brazil to acknowledge the importance of the South American continent and Brazil in the studies of the biology, chemistry and technical utilization of seaweeds. South America contributes significantly to our knowledge of the seaweeds: South American countries are important producers of seaweeds and seaweed products and they represent a huge market for seaweed commodities. It is therefore right and just that the XIIth ISS is now being held in one of the countries of this continent.
We all know that arranging a seaweed symposium is a formidable job, and arranging it in Brazil is obviously not easy, in the situation that exists. It is therefore quite clear that the National Organizing Committee, headed by Professor Eurico de Oliveira, has done an extraordinary job to secure the arrangement this time. We are very happy that you have succeeded so far in getting us all here, and that we now can start the meetings we have been looking forward to since we met in Qingdao. Before we proceed, we must pause for a while and remember a very important friend who should have been here.
As you all know, our vice-chairman and ingenious finance specialist James R. Moss and his wife Agnes were both killed in a tragic automobile accident in March last year. This was a terrible blow for all their friends and a very heavy loss for the ISA. We shall be suffering from this for many years. His experience in the chemistry, utilization, production and commercial application of seaweeds and seaweed products was enormous and his enthusiasm and willingness to work for the ISA, the symposia, and for the uses of seaweeds was exceptional. We will honor him by one minute's silence.