Sushi chef charged over whale meat
US prosecutors have filed charges against a sushi chef and a restaurant on allegations they served whale meat
Thursday March 11 2010
US federal prosecutors have filed charges against a sushi chef and a restaurant on allegations that they served illegal and endangered whale meat.
Typhoon Restaurant Inc, which owns The Hump restaurant in Santa Monica, and sushi chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, were charged with illegally selling an endangered species product, a misdemeanour.
According to a search warrant, marine mammal activists were served whale during three separate visits to the restaurant.
Federal labs confirmed the meat came from a Sei whale, an endangered species protected by international treaties, documents said.
Agents also seized some suspected whale meat during a search of the restaurant but are awaiting test results to confirm it was Sei whale, US attorney spokesman Thom Mrozak said.
In October, two activists posing as customers went to The Hump and ordered omakase, which means they let the chef choose the choicest fresh fish. They also requested whale and pocketed a sample. The young women worked with Louie Psihoyos, director of the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, to record the meal with a hidden camera and microphone.
Activists claim the whale meat came from Japan's scientific whaling program and was illegally exported, but the US attorney's office is still investigating the source of the meat.
Japan kills hundreds of whales in Antarctic waters each year under its research whaling programme, which has triggered violent protests by conservationists and caused strong objections by diplomats in recent years.
An attorney for Typhoon, Gary Lincenberg, said the restaurant accepts responsibility for serving whale and will agree to pay a fine. If convicted, the company could be fined up to 200,000 US dollars.
Yamamoto's attorney, Mark Byrne, declined to comment on the charges, saying he hadn't had time to review them. If convicted, Yamamoto could face a year in prison and a fine of up to 100,000 US dollars.
