Seafood suppliers, buyers and products in the Netherlands

A fleet built for frozen fish

The Dutch fishing fleet had 761 vessels in 2024. In 2023, it employed 1,225 people in full-time equivalents, 44% of them on vessels over 40 metres. There are 53 registered fishing ports.

This shows in landings: in 2023, 82% were frozen, 15% fresh and 3% cooked. By value, herring, blue whiting, common sole and mackerel are the main species.

Fish auctions and ports

The Netherlands has twelve auctions for demersal fish and mussels, seven of which are part of PEFA, an electronic fresh fish auction. The auction in Yerseke sells mussels only and, according to EUMOFA, is the only one of its kind in the world.

In 2025, first sales at Dutch auctions totalled 26,682 tonnes and €145 million. The three largest auctions were:

• IJmuiden/Velsen: 10,725 tonnes and €48 million (common sole, mackerel, squid),
• Urk: 5,397 tonnes and €29 million (common sole, turbot, European plaice),
• Zoutkamp: 1,899 tonnes and €12 million (brown shrimp).

There are few "pure" wholesalers. Many processors, especially in pelagic fish, own vessels and trading companies. Much of the fish from auctions or imports goes straight to processing plants, often located around the auctions.

Aquaculture: mussels and oysters

Dutch aquaculture takes place mainly in sea and brackish waters, using bottom culture (79% of production). By value, mussels are by far the main species, followed by oysters.

Processing

The fish processing industry had 3,351 employees in 2023. In 2024, its 206 companies had a turnover of about €1.5 billion. The main products are breaded fish fillets and fish fingers, and frozen fish meat.

What buyers look for

• Fresh and frozen fish: herring, mackerel, blue whiting, sole, plaice, turbot, cod, salmon, pangasius, saithe.
• Shellfish: mussels, oysters, brown shrimp, prawns, lobster, squid.
• Processed products: matjes herring, pickled herring, smoked mackerel, smoked salmon, fish fingers, breaded fish.

The Netherlands in international trade

The Netherlands mainly imports salmon, cod and shrimp, and exports the same species, along with skipjack tuna and mackerel. Main origins are Iceland, Norway, Germany and Belgium; main destinations Germany, Belgium, France and Spain (EUMOFA, 2024).

Apparent consumption was 19.90 kg per person in 2023. Cod, Alaska pollock, mackerel, hake and warmwater shrimp are the most consumed species.

How to find seafood suppliers, buyers and products in the Netherlands

SeaMatch presents 99 Dutch seafood companies listed in the SeaMatch public directory from public sources. SeaMatch serves suppliers, buyers, importers and distributors looking for seafood products. The sector includes: wholesalers, processors, importers, exporters, mussel and oyster farmers and frozen fish suppliers. The public directory shows each company's name and city, and with a free account, you can filter companies by province. With a free account, you can contact the companies registered on SeaMatch.

Frequently asked questions