The American Seafood Exchange has been given the green light to build the 350,000 square foot complex at a cost of around $70-million. It will be sited on civic land in Boston  and is expected  to employ around 1,500 people. In a city where unemployment remains high the project will be seen as most welcome news. But it also signals that the United States is serious about developing its fishing and seafood industries.

The Mayor of Boston Thomas M. Menino who said: "This is going to revolutionize the fishing industry in Boston. It will re-establish the city as a fully operational seafood port for the 21st century.' The processing and distribution centre  will be developed  out of two vacant warehouses. American Seafood Exchange was chosen from a group of five bidders for the property.

While officials hailed the proposal as a significant benefit for the Seaport District, they also made clear the company must show it can proceed with the project during the next year or its designation will be revisited.

Plans for the plant call for a public seafood auction at which distributors could buy seafood from Boston, New England, and all over the world, and have it frozen or shipped fresh. The public will  be able watch the company's operations from a viewing station to be built in the harbour.

Meanwhile,  city of Boston is preparing for the 30th International Boston Seafood Show/Seafood Processing America which runs from  March 20th to 22nd  at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Centre.  This annual international event will once again boost the city's economic activity with record attendance expected this year.

The show features approximately 900 exhibitors in more than 1,700 stands  representing all facets of the seafood industry including fresh, frozen, live, value-added, branded and private label, as well as processing equipment and services ranging from machinery to refrigeration.

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