The Cove Director Louie Psihoyos Goes After Santa Monica Sushi Restaurant

For director Louie Psihoyos, making the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove—a film that follows activist Ric O’Barry in his quest to stop the capture, slaughter and sale of dolphins in a small Japanese town and around the world—was not enough in the way of activism. In the days leading up to the Oscars, the filmmaker continued his work to stop the unlawful sale of dolphin and whale meat—this time off screen.

According to reports in The New York Times and The Guardian, Psihoyos and others from The Cove team, including associate producer Charles Hambleton, have been working since last October to stop the illegal sale of whale meat at Santa Monica sushi restaurant the Hump.

In late February, Psihoyos organized two separate sting operations during which two women, armed with small hidden cameras and microphones, dined at the Hump, each time being served whale meat (as confirmed by DNA samples at Oregon State University.) The investigation grew bigger as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (a branch of he Department of Commerce specializing in marine conservation) and the United States attorney in Los Angeles began looking into the allegations.

Charges against the Hump could be brought by the United States attorney for the Central District of California sometime this week.

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.