Achievement award for Northern Irish seafood pioneer

John Rooney, the founder and managing director of Rooney Fish, Northern Ireland's leading fish and seafood business, has won a major award in recognition of his longstanding contribution to the fishing industry.

Rooney was recognised by the Lifetime Achievement Award in the recent Northern Ireland Agriculture Awards.

In addition to his success in developing his own business, Rooney was recognised for his "voluntary contribution to business and in particular where this interfaces with policymakers and decision-makers".

The citation continued: "Through his involvement with Manufacturing NI, he has helped secure changes in policy which have improved competitiveness and avoided harm which in turn has allowed the wider manufacturing sector to be sustained and in some cases grow.

"His involvement with other bodies, including the Federation of Small Business and as a board member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Business Trust has ensured there is a greater understanding of business within the Assembly and indeed a better understanding of the Assembly with business.

"He gives freely of his time for these and other roles despite the pressures of running several of his own businesses which employs collectively hundreds of people in agriculture, hospitality and manufacturing".

Rooney Fish is a family run business he established in Kilkeel, county Down in 1975 and now in its second generation. It specialises in the processing of the finest catch from the Irish Sea including whole prawns but have diversified beyond this to include all shellfish. More 90 per cent of its products are currently exported to Europe and Asia including Japan.