Maxima Seafood bought by Japanese conglomerate Nissui

IJmuiden, the Netherlands-based Maxima Seafood has been acquired by Japanese conglomerate Nissui.

Founded in 1974, Maxima Seafood trades in fresh and frozen fish caught in the North Sea. Its current management is composed of Martijn Spilt, Martin Riemer, and Willem Hoeve. The company confirmed the transaction via its social media accounts, without providing details of the sale.

“We are happy to inform you about joining the Nissui group. More information will come soon,” it wrote on Facebook.

Tokyo, Japan-based conglomerate Nissui owns seafood-focused subsidiaries around the globe, including Gorton's, Unisea, F.W. Bryce, and King and Prince in the United States; Nordic Seafood, JP Klausen, Cite Marine, Nordic Seafood, Halieutis, Three Oceans, and Europacifico in Europe; Emdepes and Salmones Antarctica in Chile; Sealord in New Zealand; and Kurose Suisan, Yumigaham Suisan, Seinan Suisan, Kyowasuisan in Japan.

In its 2022 fiscal year, which ended 31 March 2023, it reported higher sales but lower operating profits. Its net sales increased 10.7 percent, reaching JPY 768 billion (USD 5.5 billion, EUR 5.1 billion), up from JPY 693 billion (USD 4.9 billion, EUR 4.6 billion) in 2021, while its operating profit fell 9.6 percent to JPY 24.4 billion (USD 175 million, EUR 162 million), from JPY 27 billion (USD 193 million, 180 million) in 2021. Ordinary profit was also down 14.2 percent to JPY 27.7 billion (USD 198 million, EUR 184 million) from JPY 32.3 billion (USD 231 million, EUR 215 million). 

In May 2023, Nissui signed a partnership with Victoria, Australia-based seaweed business start-up Seascape Restorations Australia, also known as the Immersion Group. The companies will work together on methane reduction through the use of asparagopsis seaweed. Nissui said the collaboration will allow rapid scaling of onshore asparagopsis seaweed production and its application in animal feed. 

Following a name change in 2021, Nissui announced a plan to broaden its product portfolio. It introduced an egg substitute made of pollock in 2022 that became popular during post-pandemic shortages of eggs in Japan.

Photo courtesy of Maxima Seafood