A Santa Monica sushi chef arrested in a 2013 sting operation for selling whale meat has been sentenced to two years' probation, fined $5,000 and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service. The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits importing selling whale meat.
The chefs admitted that in 2007, Ueda got approval from the restaurant's owner and manager to order several pounds of whale from Ohira, prosecutors previously said. Yamamoto then served the whale meat on at least two occasions in early 2010.
The order included about three kilograms of whale akami, or red meat; about two kilograms each of whale bacon; and whale onomi, or tail, according to the plea agreement.
Image: A shop at Tsukiji Market in Japan selling whale meat. Photo taken at Tsukiji Market in Japan April 11, 2015. Brady Barrineau / Shutterstock.com
