Los Angeles, California CNN — Federal authorities have charged a trendy Santa Monica sushi restaurant with serving whale meat — an investigation that was spurred by the team behind the Oscar-winning documentary, “The Cove.”Prosecutors charged Typhoon Restaurant Inc., the parent company of The Hump, and one of its chefs — Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45 — with the illegal sale of a marine mammal product for an unauthorized purpose.

via Feds charge trendy sushi restaurant for serving whale meat – CNN.com.

This took a long time to happen! I saw The Cove last year (in the summer) I think. I’m glad to see that Taiji, Japan has come under immense international pressure to stop killing dolphins. I’m glad that The Cove has gained accolades and has been recognized by the academy. What was done to film these dolphin killers was extraordinary. Now the fruits of their labor appear to be ripening. If only Rick O’Barry wasn’t censored when he held up  a sign at the Oscars trying to get more people involved in the campaign.

Yesterday I saw The Cove at E-Street Cinemas in DC and I have to say that it is indeed an astonishing piece of work.

Winner of audience awards across the world, including Sundance, SilverDocs and Hot Docs, The Cove follows a team of activists and filmmakers as they infiltrate a heavily-guarded cove in Taiji, Japan. In this remote village they witness and document activities deliberately being hidden from the public: More than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises are being slaughtered each year and their meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is being sold as food in Japan, often times labeled as whale meat.

The majority of the world is not aware this is happening. The Taiji cove is blocked off from the public. Cameras are not allowed inside and the media does not cover the story. It’s critical that we get the word out in Japan.  It’s critical that we get the word out—everywhere.  We believe that once the Japanese people know, they will demand change.

Two people associated with the film also have organizations you can check out for more information. Rick O’Barry who has been fighting this industry for decades has an organization called Save Japan Dolphins. The director of the film also has an organization he started called the Oceanic Preservation Society. As I was leaving the theater I was greeted by people handing out literature for Rick O’Barry’s organization. I told them I had just seen the film and that I would tell all of my co-workers at the environmental non-profit I work for in DC to go see the film as well. The literature also points out an e-Action you can take to send a letter to the administration and the Japanese Ambassador urging them to address the situation.