Seafood Connection finalises acquisition of 70 per cent stake in Van der Lee Seafish

Seafood Connection Holding (SFCH), a subsidiary of Maruha Nichiro Corporation, has completed the acquisition of a 70 per cent majority stake in Van der Lee Seafish.

"The proposed acquisition aligns seamlessly with the long-term vision of Seafood Connection and its parent company Maruha Nichiro: strengthening an integrated value chain for sustainable food products, with a strong focus on both seafood and non-seafood categories," said SFCH.

A Maruha Nichiro management plan covering 2025 to 2027 identified Europe as a core growth region and emphasised sustainable growth through vertical integration and international expansion.

For SFCH, the transaction represented an acceleration of its own strategy, combining organic growth with targeted M&A.

"It's true Seafood Connection is always eager to expand our product range and sales network for frozen seafood," said Jan Kaptijn, CEO of SFCH. "Next to our organic growth, M&A is an important way to speed up our growth into the European market. Also from Maruha Nichiro's side – confirmed in their latest mid-term plan 2025–2027 – there is a strong interest in expanding their overseas network, whereby Europe is one of their focus areas."

Van der Lee Seafish adds modern production facilities and expertise in Atlantic fish species and value-added products, such as breaded and pre-fried fish and plant-based alternatives.

"Its value-added processing capabilities and Atlantic sourcing are highly complementary to SFCH’s product range offering and perfectly complements Seafood Connection’s growth ambitions in the convenience segment," said the company.

Maruha Nichiro, holding approximately 27 per cent of the total US Pollack quota, said it recognised Van der Lee as a strategic processing partner that could add significant value within the supply chain.

Both companies will continue to operate under their existing brand names and maintain their current teams and structures.