An American restaurant has come under fire for allegedly serving whale sushi.
The New York Times reports that local authorities were tipped off about The Hump restaurant by the film crew who made The Cove, a documentary about a dolphin cull in Japan, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary.
Prosecutors say a search warrant executed at the restaurant in early March confirmed the restaurant sold Sei whale meat on at least three occasions since last October.
Now, the restaurant and its chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto are facing criminal charges. Selling whale meat is illegal in the US.
The charges carry large fines and a jail term.
"Sei whales are listed as an endangered species, and the sale of all whale meat is prohibited in the United States by the Marine Mammal Protection Act," says a statement from the local Attorney's Office.
"Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species," says United States Attorney Andre Birotte Jr.
"Federal law has a variety of provisions ... intended to protect this planet's threatened natural resources. People should be aware that we will use these criminal statutes where appropriate to protect endangered species, including to ensure that they do not end up part of a meal," he adds.
The meat was identified as whale when it was sold, and receipts given to customers also indicated that they had eaten whale.
