Seal Bombs Backfire on Traveling Alaskan Fisherman

Dec. 22--Travis Davis says he just wanted to bring an unusual Christmas present home from Alaska.

In retrospect, if he had thought about it, he wouldn't have done it. But he was in a rush to catch his flight, and now the 23-year-old fisherman faces possible jail time because he packed "seal bombs" in his checked luggage.

Davis was en route from Dutch Harbor to the Lower 48 a year ago when he was stopped by the Transportation Security Administration at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. In his luggage, wrapped in wet clothes, were 29 "California seal control devices," otherwise known as seal bombs.

The devices, which resemble powerful firecrackers, are typically used to scare off wildlife, including seals from around fishing nets. They are legal when used for that purpose as long as they do not harass or injure marine mammals, said Jeff Passer, special agent in charge of fisheries enforcement with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Davis was briefly held at the airport and his explosives were confiscated. But he was allowed to continue his travels while federal authorities considered the case.

Now, exactly one year later, Davis is being charged federally with one count of interstate transportation of hazardous substance.

Assistant federal attorney Retta-Rae Randall declined to comment on the case outside of documents listing the charge and filed with the U.S. District Court.

Davis, reached by phone in Anchorage, considers his decision a year ago "stupid" but "not malicious" and thinks facing jail time and a conviction on his record is ridiculous.

A year ago, as he was hurriedly packing after a long, sleepless shift crab fishing from Dutch Harbor, he threw the devices into his luggage along with fishing gear.

"I was working like a dog," he said, and wasn't thinking straight.

His thought at the time was to give them to friends, perhaps to set off on New Year's Eve.

Once he reached Anchorage, the FBI descended like a swarm of bees when he got off his flight from Unalaska, he said.

"It was pretty clear I was in deep doody."

Davis had bought the seal bombs at a fishing supply store in Dutch Harbor. He and others on his fishing boat would set them off for fun when bored on the boat, he said.

"It's just a really neat firecracker," he said. "They're fun."

They may be that, the feds say, but they are not meant to be transported, unsecured in the belly of a commercial jet.

Davis faces one year in prison, although his defense attorney said it is very unlikely he will do any time.

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