The Japanese-based fisheries multinational Maruha Nichiro has strengthened its position in the Dutch fish market with the purchase of Weerstand Foods, one of the biggest fish processors in the country and based on the island of Urk in the IJsselmeer.

Maruha Nichiro, the biggest fisheries concern in the world, bought Weerstand through its Dutch subsidiary Seafood Connection, the Financieele Dagblad has reported. Financial details were not disclosed.

The new Dutch combine Seafood Weerstand will have annual revenues of €215m. The Urk firm was set up by the Weerstand family 30 years ago. It has a payroll of 112 and annual sales of €30m.

‘The acquisition of Weerstand gives us access to new markets,’ Seafood Connection chief executive Jan Kaptijn said in a statement. ‘The future of trade in fishery products looks promising and at the same time we see an increasing demand for locally caught fish products such as plaice, sole and Norwegian lobster. Weerstand already has these products in its assortment.’

Seafood Connection was Maruha Nichiro’s first purchase in the Netherlands when most of its shares were acquired in 2013 by the Japanese group. Maruha Nichiro was formed in 2007 with the merger of two large Japanese fisheries groups with 170 working companies. The company is active worldwide.