Over The Hump: Whale-Serving Sushi Restaurant Issues Apology

by Michael dEstries March 15, 2010
Categories: Animals, Eats.

the hump sushi

Owners of the Santa Monica sushi restaurant The Hump have issues an apology for serving endangered whale meat.

The dubious menu item caused a financial and PR nightmare for the owners after a sting operation involving the producers of the Academy Award winning The Cove and federal agencies discovered the illegal meat.

If convicted, the restaurant team faces a fine of $200,000, while the chef faces a $100,000 fine. All parties could serve a year in federal prison, according to federal prosecutors.

“The charge against the restaurant is true: The Hump served whale meat to customers looking to eat what in Japan is widely served as a delicacy,” The Hump’s owners said in a statement on the restaurant’s Web site, www.thehump.biz. “In serving this meat, The Hump ignored its responsibilities to help save endangered whales from extinction and failed to support the world community in its uphill fight to protect all endangered species.

“While The Hump cannot undo the damage it caused, it will put into place procedures to ensure that it strictly complies with the laws and becomes a good corporate citizen. We sincerely apologize. We pledge to work hard to re-earn the trust of the public and respect of our customers.”

City officials, which own the space where the two restaurants are located, have not yet decided if they will evict the two sushi shops.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →

Dgrede

Im sure kimitake Hiraoka is going to make one of his stupid comments so people just ignore his ass!!

I’m so glad this people got caught, I wonder how long they though they were going to get away with it.
- whiplash
  
  The troops will get here soon enough with their usual tripe…DDpalmer, Kimitake, Hideyoshi & Ginza Glen. Rant after rant..coming out way. Looking forward to it.
  - Chastity
    
    Activists are PR people’s worst nightmare.
Donny

this need to make up for their mistake by publicly donate to sea shepherd conservation.
billy jean is my lover

I hope they go broke and a message sent that this is unacceptable.

Japan has a great record of over fishing, environmental destruction, ignoring quotas etc etc look at theit defiance in the face of blue Fin Tuna. We know it’s running out and they just dont give a flying F.

Perhaps it is Karma. Look at their socital problems, economic problems, deflation, suicides etc… It is a house of cards.
- Michael Jackson
  
  RE: Billy Jean is my Lover
  
  “We know it’s running out and they just dont give a flying F.”
  
  I hope you have as much passion of what you said above with respect to recycling, re-using, and reducing waste. If your not doing everything you can do, than you are destroying the earth as well and then you don’t give a flying F.
  
  Just want to make sure that people aren’t hypocrites, and blast others for ruining the world when they are no better.
Chastity

This happens daily. Any time it involves profits and nonhuman animal exploitation, you can expect a lot of sneaking around. Except the others haven’t been caught yet.

I do applaud the people behind The Cove by doing this. However, as consumers, because nonhuman animals all over the world are commodified, our best bet is stop demanding for their innards, secretions, skins, furs, feathers, and scales. In other words, go vegan.
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dhs

Well we know that Pete Bethune will now be spending the greater part of his remaining life in jail and now I know there will be a spectacular new “Hump” restaurant for me to go to….. paid for by the good people of Santa Monica.

Can’t wait to order a plate of “endangered whale meat”. Does any know at this phony “publication” what that is? It is just another stupid lie that the environmental terrorist use to line their pocket and enjoy a lifetime of leisure.

No “endangered whale meat”…no crime…..no charges…no trial. Just rousting a few ethnic citizens with not much chance to defend themselves for the great racist Marxist environmentalist cause.

They will “lawyer up”

So the very racist eco-terrorists with the fed and the locals take down a local ethnic business without a shred of a charge. In the end the people of Santa Monica have an additional lean on their houses and I get to eat in a totally new Hump Restaurant.

A win-win for me from Leftist fools!