March 20th, 2010
02:24 AM ET

Sushi eatery accused of selling whale to close

A trendy California sushi restaurant says it's closing after being accused of serving illegal whale meat.

The company that owns Santa Monica's The Hump restaurant had already apologized for the whale meat accusation earlier in the week.

The restaurant's Web site said: "After 12 years doing business in Santa Monica, The Hump will be closing its doors effective March 20, 2010. The Hump hopes that by closing its doors, it will help bring awareness to the detrimental effect that illegal whaling has on the preservation of our ocean ecosystems and species."

The investigation into the eatery began in October when two members, armed with a hidden camera, captured a waitress serving them whale and horse meat and identifying them as such, a federal criminal complaint said.

Read the full CNN.com story

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Filed under: Animals • U.S.
soundoff (3 Responses)
  1. Darren Lopez

    Alaskins must of introduced the delicasie to southern cal and there selling like hot cakes on the down low of the food chain pretty soon they might be the fishermans of the Hawaiian Waters new money maker.But thats were they breed and then they head back to there home in the Alaskin Waters.I think it probabley tast like fish cake or shark meet.

    March 20, 2010 at 3:47 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Jim

    Not only japan sells whale meat. But you know Norway also sells whale burgers and whale meat too. Some parts of the world sells whale meat.

    March 21, 2010 at 12:36 am | Report abuse |
  3. timmy

    If the whale was a Sei whale caught by the Japanese, then it wasn't illegal whaling. What Japan is doing is legal under the terms of the whaling convention.

    What would be illegal was if The Hump staff brought this whale meat into the US. That's illegal under CITES. Japan isn't bound by those rules however, they have a CITES reservation to it as they disagree with the scientific basis for Sei whales being listed under CITES. Only the US side of the trade is illegal, in the USA.

    So I don't understand why The Hump is trying to highlight illegal whaling, when there is no illegal whaling involved here. There was only illegal whale meat trade done by The Hump's staff. Are they trying to deflect the attention away from themselves to get an easier time in court?

    March 23, 2010 at 4:36 am | Report abuse |
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