{"id":416703,"date":"2010-03-11T13:02:17","date_gmt":"2010-03-11T18:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/green.yahoo.com\/blog\/guest_bloggers\/25\/cove-filmmakers-expose-l-a-restaurant-serving-whale-sushi-during-oscars.html"},"modified":"2010-03-11T13:02:17","modified_gmt":"2010-03-11T18:02:17","slug":"cove-filmmakers-expose-l-a-restaurant-serving-whale-sushi-during-oscars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/416703","title":{"rendered":"‘Cove’ filmmakers expose L.A. restaurant serving whale sushi during Oscars"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n
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\tWHALE SUSHI: The L.A.
\nrestaurant was caught serving illegal whale sushi like this \u2014 called
\nkujira in Japan. (Photo: jetalone<\/a>\/Flickr)\n\t\t<\/div>\n
A Santa Monica sushi restaurant and one of its sushi chefs were charged yesterday with illegally serving endangered whale meat. Its owners face up to a year in prison and up to $200,000 in fines. The restaurant accepts responsibility<\/a> and will pay the fines, according to the Los Angeles Times<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/div>\n
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Once again armed with hidden video cameras and tiny microphones,
\nthe team behind the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove<\/em>
\norchestrated a sting operation in one of California<\/a>‘s most
\n highly regarded sushi destinations \u2014 a restaurant called the Hump \u2014
\nwhile in Los Angeles to receive their Academy Award, according
\n to the New York Times<\/a>. <\/div>\n
\n
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The so-called “sushi sting,” which involved many of the same James
\nBond-like undercover methods used to reveal dolphin hunting in the movie, actually began last
\nOctober when the documentary’s associate producer, Charles Hambleton,
\nheard from friends that the Hump was serving illegal whale meat \u2014 a
\nshocking allegation, even in sushi-loving Tinseltown where unusual fish
\nimported from Japan can be commonplace menu items.<\/div>\n
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Since Hambleton knew the whole crew would be in town for the
\nAcademy Awards, it only made sense to plan the operation for that same
\nweek. And, of course, Hambleton needed time to build specialized hidden
\ncameras for the operation too.<\/div>\n
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On Feb. 28, just a week before the filmmakers stood on the stage at
\n the Oscars to accept their award, two animal activist associates
\nwearing cameras and microphones sat down at the Hump and ordered a
\nsession of omakase, a sushi meal for which the chef picks all the
\ndishes. Sure enough, the video clearly shows them being served thick,
\npink slices of meat \u2014 which the waitress unambiguously describes as
\n“whale.”<\/div>\n
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After feigning interest and covertly stashing the meat in Ziploc
\nbags, the activists walked out with their evidence. Samples were then
\nsent to the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon<\/a> State
\nUniversity, confirming that the meat was indeed from a whale. Worse yet,
\n DNA from the samples indicated more specifically that the animal was a
\nSei whale, an endangered species. “I\u2019ve been doing this for years,” said
\n professor Scott Baker, who performed the tests. “I was pretty shocked.”<\/div>\n
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After Baker forwarded his findings to the United States attorney in
\n Los Angeles, further investigations allegedly revealed an assemblage of shady
\nsmuggling practices occurring at the Hump, including the discovery that
\nthe restaurant’s chefs likely obtained their whale meat from a
\nmysterious Mercedes parked behind the restaurant.<\/div>\n
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Law officials entered the Hump last Friday serving search warrants,
\n and they said charges would be brought against the restaurant for
\nviolating federal laws against selling marine mammals.<\/div>\n
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“This isn\u2019t just about saving whales,” said Louie Psihoyos, the
\ndirector of The Cove<\/em>, “But about saving the planet.”<\/div>\n
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\n

Bryan Nelson is a regular contributor to Mother Nature Network<\/a>, where this post
\noriginally appeared.<\/em><\/p>\n

More from Mother Nature Network<\/strong><\/p>\n