California Restaurant Charged for Serving Endangered Whale Meat

A popular California restaurant is set to close shop Saturday in what its management said was a 'self-imposed punishment' for serving endangered whale meat to customers. Charges were filed by Federal prosecutors against the restaurant owners.

The Hump, a popular sushi restaurant in Sta. Monica, California was charged by Federal prosecutors for serving endangered whale meat . The charges came after an animal activist staged an undercover operation to document the actual serving of the endangered whale meat. The activists used a tiny video camera to record their payment of $600 for the omakase, or chef's choice, which included eight pieces of whale. The activists bagged samples of the meat and sent them to the Marine Mammal Institute, where they were determined to be Sei whale, an endangered species. The restaurant immediately took responsibility for serving the endangered whale meat and promised to make donations to the endangered whale preservation efforts. The restaurant was set to close Saturday in what the management said was a 'self-imposed punishment' for its irresponsible acts. The Hump apologizes to our loyal customers, the community of Santa Monica, and the public at large for our illegal actions. While the current difficulties faced by The Hump overshadow the many friendships formed over the years, we want our customers and friends to know how much we thank you for your support.