LOS ANGELES -- A Santa Monica sushi restaurant and one of its chefs were charged Wednesday with illegally selling Sei whale meat in violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.

An attorney for The Hump restaurant at the Santa Monica Airport said the eatery "accepts responsibility" and plans to quickly resolve the case.

Typhoon Restaurant Inc., the parent company of The Hump, and 45-year-old Kiyoshiro Yamamoto of Culver City were each charged in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles with a misdemeanor count of selling a marine mammal product for an unauthorized purpose.

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.

"Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species," said U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. "Federal law has a variety of provisions, including criminal statutes, 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."

Gary S. Lincenberg, attorney for The Hump, said the restaurant "accepts responsibility for the wrongdoing charged by the U.S. Attorney and will agree to pay a fine and resolve this matter in court."

The misdemeanor federal charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison and a maximum fine of $100,000 for an individual or $200,000 for an organization.

The charges were the result of a covert operation that included several visits to the trendy sushi spot over the past five months.

According to Roxanna Behtash, a special agent with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, confidential informants secretly videotaped whale being served at the restaurant last October.

"I have probable cause to believe The Hump has illegally possessed and sold whale meat," Behtash wrote in an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint.

In subsequent visits, informants were offered whale -- as well as blow fish and horse meat -- by a waiter, according to the affidavit.

During yet another visit by undercover federal agents, a sushi chef was observed going out to his car and coming back apparently with whale meat, which was then prepared as sushi, Behtash wrote.

Earlier Wednesday, Santa Monica city officials said they were also looking into the matter.

"The City Attorney's Office is vigorously investigating this -- looking at the lease and business license," said Kate Vernez, assistant to the Santa Monica city manager for community and government relations. "We are always concerned whenever a local business or lessee may have violated the law -- even more so for environmental laws."

A report on the restaurant is expected to be delivered to the Santa Monica City Council at its March 23 meeting, Vernez said.

The first word of the unusual offering at The Hump came from the Oscar- winning team behind the documentary "The Cove," The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The filmmakers alerted federal officials after allegedly confirming that the restaurant was serving sushi identified as Sei whale.

The Hump, which has only six tables and is located on an upper floor with views of the Santa Monica runway and Pacific Ocean, has apparently been untouched by the recent negative publicity. The restaurant is open as usual, a server said.

Downstairs from The Hump is its sister restaurant, Typhoon, a trendy, high-tech eatery that offers Asian cuisine -- with some adventurous touches.

The lunch menu contains a section headed "Insects," and includes "Taiwanese Crickets," "Silkworm Larvae" and "Thai-Style White Sea Worms."

The Hump's name has nothing to do with whales. The restaurant is named for the aviation slang term for the Himalayas. The restaurant has been open for more than 10 years.