Not only did we nab one of the suspects in the opening day assault at Dodger Stadium this weekend, but we’ve also managed to nail the dude who was selling endangered and illegal whale meat to The Hump and other Southern California restaurants that have a taste for leviathan. Contra Costa Times reports that Gardena seafood wholesaler Ginichi Y. Ohira will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act by “knowingly selling a marine mammal product for an unauthorized purpose.”
Clearly not just a fluke, the man had been importing whale meat from Japan for roughly ten years and could face up to one year in federal prison, one year under supervised release, and a $100,000 fine for his crime. The Hump saw its own charges dropped after closing down and promising to make financial contributions to whale and marine protection groups. That decision sure seemed like a slap on the wrist for someone serving an endangered mammal. Do you think Ohira deserves to get off as easily?
Gardena fish wholesaler to plead guilty to selling whale meat [Contra Costa Times]
