Thanks to Sea Shepherd volunteer Zoli Teglas, and many others, including producer Charles Hambleton from the Oscar winning documentary, “The Cove,” The Hump restaurant in Santa Monica, California, is closing its doors. Following the undercover operation, the restaurant was caught illegally selling sei whale meat in clear violation of U.S. federal law.

The attention generated by volunteers protesting outside the restaurant following the investigation, which brought these illegal activities to light, greatly increased pressure on the restaurant owners. In the end, the pressure was too great.

In a statement posted on their website, The Hump explains:

“The Hump hopes that by closing its doors, it will help bring awareness to the detrimental effect that illegal whaling has on the preservation of our ocean ecosystems and species. Closing the restaurant is a self-imposed punishment on top of the fine that will be meted out by the court. The Owner of The Hump also will be taking additional action to save endangered species.”

Sea Shepherd will continue opposing restaurants serving illegal seafood, including illegal whale meat, and hopes that The Hump sets a stark example for the severity of this crime.

For more information, see our previous posting.

photo: Greg Hager/Sea Shepherd