US fish restaurant closes after selling illegal whale meat

A top US fish restaurant has closed after it was caught selling illegal whale meat in a film-makers' sting.

The Hump, a sushi restaurant near Santa Monica airport in California, was caught selling the meat for £57 a plate, billed as ‘omakase' - a Japanese term for ‘chef's choice', according to the Guardian.

Using secret cameras, producers of The Cove,](http://www.thecovemovie.com/) a film documenting environmentalists' battles with Japanese dolphin hunters, recorded a waitress describing the slices of meat as ‘kujira', meaning ‘whale'.

The Hump, which now faces a $20,000 fine and a possible year's imprisonment, closed its doors yesterday and pledged a "substantial contribution" to whale conservation charities.

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By Neil Gerrard

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