German customs officials seized a large piece of whale meat from a postal package shipped from Norway. The intended recipient claimed that the prohibited package was a gift from a friend, according to officials on Wednesday. The whale meat was destroyed by customs officials in the south-western city of Mannheim. “The illegal trade in endangered animals and plants is not only a criminal offence but also endangers the conservation of these endangered species,” a German Customs spokesman said in a statement. Norway, Iceland and Japan are the only countries in the world that currently allow commer…