The Hump restaurant in Santa Monica and chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto face charges over "the illegal sale of a marine mammal product" after the Oscar-winning documentary makers of "The Cove" filmed them serving Sei whale sushi.

"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," a statement on the restaurant's website said.

"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."

"One such action will be to make a substantial contribution to one or more responsible organizations dedicated to the preservation of whales and other endangered species," the statement added.

"The Hump apologizes to our loyal customers, the community of Santa Monica, and the public at large for our illegal actions."

The restaurant owners face up to a year in prison and a 200,000 dollar fine, while Yamamoto faces a maximum fine of 100,000 dollars.

Authorities were alerted to the sale of whale meat at the restaurant by the film crew that made "The Cove," a documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan that won this year's Best Documentary Oscar.

Director Louie Psihoyos had for months been attempting to gather evidence that the restaurant was selling the meat, and launched several "commando" operations, sending crew members to pose as customers.

They filmed the meals they were served with miniature cameras and managed to sneak samples of the whale sushi out of the restaurant, taking it to a lab where tests revealed it was Sei whale meat.

"Sei whales are listed as an endangered species, and the sale of all whale meat is prohibited in the United States by the Marine Mammal Protection Act," said a statement from the local US Attorney's Office when charges were announced.

"Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species," said United States Attorney Andre Birotte Jr.

"Federal law has a variety of provisions... intended to protect this planet's threatened natural resources. People should be aware that we will use these criminal statutes where appropriate to protect endangered species, including to ensure that they do not end up part of a meal," he added.

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