Seafood Champions

Rick Moonen - 2006 Seafood Champion

Rick Moonen is currently chef and co-owner of RM Seafood at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was previously the executive chef and partner of Oceana in New York City. Rick’s love and passion for seafood can be seen in his ever-changing menu at RM, which provides a high quality, upscale option for seafood enthusiasts. In 1993, Rick received the “Chef of the Year” award for the Northeast Region from Chefs of America, and in 2003 he received the “Best Chef” Critic’s Choice Award at the Vail Food & Wine Festival.

Rick’s involvement in the sustainable seafood effort began a decade ago during SeaWeb’s “Give Swordfish a Break” campaign. Through his own business, he was finding that swordfish was becoming increasingly more difficult to find, the quality had decreased, as did its size. The campaign confirmed his suspicions and, along with chefs throughout the country, Rick stood up to the challenge and removed swordfish from his menu.

Since that time, Rick has become much more inquisitive in terms of the sources of the fish he provides in his restaurant. While at Oceana in New York, he removed Chilean sea bass from the menu when its overexploitation became apparent and became an active voice in the culinary world pushing for protection of the endangered beluga sturgeon. He has also made efforts to ensure appropriate health precautions for his customers by removing Atlantic salmon from the menus due to the difficulty in tracking its specific source.

Rick has faced limited adversity in his efforts toward sustainability. He explains that over 80% of patrons are supportive of his decisions and applaud his efforts to promote sustainable seafood. Customers have also begun asking more questions about the health and sustainability characteristics of various species. Rick has responded by using his influence across the seafood supply chain and requiring his suppliers to provide him with the information necessary to make informed seafood purchases.

Boldly using his stature as a celebrity chef, Rick has stood up and made his prominent voice heard throughout the restaurant community and has led by example in his efforts to educate consumers and grow the marketplace for ocean-friendly cuisine.

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