The filmmakers who made the documentary “The Cove”, which won an Oscar at the Academy Awards on Sunday with its gruesome portrayal of the slaughter of dolphin at Taiji, Japan; and according to the New York Times, received a tip that the sushi restaurant, The Hump, 3221 Donald Douglas Loop South in South Santa Monica, California was serving whale. With the help of a hidden camera and microphone they filmed the dinner and also took a sample to a lab; it turned out to be the endangered species Sei whale.
Oddly enough, Mark Gold who is also involved in the investigation and possible illegal sale of whale at the restaurant, has a brother Jonathon Gold, the Pulitzer Prize winning food critic, who frequently writes about dining on endangered species much to the chagrin of Mark, who is President of Heal The Bay, an environmental group.
The hunting and killing of whales for food has long been a part of the Japanese culture and it will not end anytime soon. There are literally thousands of restaurants that specialize in selling whale in Japan however, I must say that I have never heard of it being served in a Los Angeles area restaurant although, I imagined it might be eaten secretly within the Japanese community.
UPDATE: According to latest reports “The Hump” has closed.
