SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Control Testing of Gear Changes to Rduce Sea Turtle Bycatch in Longlines
- Notice Date
- 7/19/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Western Administrative Support Center, 7600 Sand Point Way, Northeast, Seattle, WA, 98115-6349
- ZIP Code
- 98115-6349
- Solicitation Number
- WASC-6-0963
- Response Due
- 8/3/2996
- Archive Date
- 8/18/2996
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis / solicitation for services procured in accordance with FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The office of NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service located in Honolulu, Hawaii in to aquire the following services; 1.) controlled testing of gear changes to reduce sea turtle bycatch in longline fisheries with high catchrates for leatherback turtles. Project Background: Incidental capture of sea turtles by pelagic longlines through both hooking and entanglement is a threat to the survival of sea turtle populations throughout the world. There are a number of longline fishing characteristics that can affect turtle bycatch such as hook shape and size, the depth, structure, and material composition of the fishing line and other parts of the gear, and the time of initiating and completing fishing operations. Turtles generally get caught by longlines when trying to consume bait on hooks, or as they become entangled in suspended fishing lines, especially when the lines are slack, flexible, and set near the sea surface. To assist the recovery of sea turtle populations, it is NOAA?s goal to test alternate fishing methods that may reduce incidental turtle hooking and entanglement, so that these methods may be promoted in commercial fisheries around the world. Throughout the last decade there has been extensive longline testing of various sizes of circle hooks as an alternative to the more commonly used J-shaped hooks and so-called ?tuna? hooks (shaped like a bent J). Results from studies in the U.S.A.?s Atlantic and Pacific longline fisheries for swordfish have indicated that circle hooks of size 18/0 (> 4.9 cm minimum width) reduced the bycatch of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in comparison with J hooks of size 9/0 (3.8-3.9 cm minimum width). Within some longline fisheries with high leatherback catch rates, the proportion of the bycatch that is entangled is sometimes higher for leatherbacks than for hard shell sea turtles. There has been little research to develop methods of reducing entanglement of sea turtles in longline gear. Leatherbacks tend to be caught on longlines during the night, and feed predominantly on bioluminescent ?jelly? organisms such as cnidarians. They may be attracted to light lures that are attached to the gear. Considerable research has been conducted on the visual abilities of target fish species and sea turtles. Some of this research suggests that alternatives to the light lures used in some fisheries may reduce leatherback bycatch. Leatherback turtles also tend to be caught more frequently on hooks located closest to floats (which also tend to be the shallowest hooks). Some research suggests that lines set deeper, or further from floats, or that more rigid lines may catch fewer leatherback turtles. Hypotheses have been advanced that entanglement could be reduced by reducing the number of surface floats, and augmenting the suspension of the main line in other fashions, such as with midwater floats or by inverting the normal arrangement of the gear so that the main line is deployed below the hooks. General Requirements for an Offer: NOAA is seeking contractors to conduct a controlled comparison between standard fishing gear (the control) and an alternative fishing gear (the treatment) that is hypothesized or has been demonstrated to reduce leatherback turtle bycatch. Examples that could be proposed include (but are not limited to): 1) an offer to test size 18/0 circle hook versus some other standard hook currently in use; 2) an offer to test an alternate type of light lure versus the standard type; or 3) an offer to test more rigid lines, or deeper lines, or lines using fewer floats versus the standard configuration. Most importantly, offers must indicate an ability to obtain and use fishing vessel services and to conduct controlled scientific testing as well as to observe, record and report the results; all for the offered price. Offers must indicate the capability of conducting gear trials in a fishery where fishing regulations allow both the alternative and standard gear to be used. The fishery proposed for gear trials must also have a reasonable expectation (e.g. past average rate) of turtle bycatch frequent enough to result in trial bycatch of at least 10 observed leatherback turtles (combined bycatch by the standard and alternative gear). Please provide a price quote for one year, and for an option to contract a 50% addition to the first year?s work (resulting in an expectation of at least 5 more observed leatherbacks in the gear trials). Most fisheries that meet these regulation and bycatch frequency requirements and that can provide the solicited testing at a competitive price, are expected to operate outside of the U.S.A. Offers must indicate experience and ability to work in the proposed fishery, and must indicate that the vessels and gears to be used are permitted under the regulations governing the proposed fishery. If there are no qualified offers that meet these general requirements specifically for leatherback turtles, offers that address a combination of (or a single) turtle species in an otherwise qualified proposal will be considered. Proposed gear alterations that appear to have a reasonable possibility of increasing sea turtle mortality will be rejected. For example, proposed gear alterations that would increase the numbers of turtles being caught or entangled in branch lines too short for the turtle to reach the surface will be rejected even if they are anticipated to reduce the total number of turtles caught. Provide a description of the standard fishing gear and fishing operations, and what is known or expected about the rate of turtle bycatch in the fishery in which you propose to conduct the gear trials. Format of Bids: An offer should be made for testing a specific total quantity of fishing gear comprised of equal amounts of standard (control) versus alternative (treatment) fishing effort measured in hooks (note the alternative gear may not be a different hook, but the bid must be for a specific contracted quantity of fishing effort specified in hooks). This should be the amount of effort expected to result in the observed bycatch of at least 10 leatherback turtles over a one-year contract. Another offer should be made for an option for testing an additional quantity of effort equal to half of the original amount, i.e.: Contract: For gear trials using fishing effort of ___________hooks in 1 year: $______________ Resulting in an estimated bycatch of _____ (give number) of leatherback turtles (minimum = 10) Option: For gear trials using fishing effort of ___________additional hooks $______________ Resulting in an estimated bycatch of _____ (give number) of leatherback turtles (minimum = 5) NOAA may or may not opt to continue the work beyond one year. Please provide the basis for estimating the number of turtle interactions that would result from testing the proposed amount of fishing gear. The realized number of turtle interactions will be beyond human control, and cannot be a binding factor in the contract. NOAA may respond with an offer to contract only a fraction of the proposed amount of testing, subject to availability of funding. NOAA is only interested in testing alternate gears that are likely to result in continued economic viability of ongoing fishing operations. Contractors may need to plan on using vessels that will sell their fish catch as usual (fishing vessels) or that cover much of their operating costs through some other source. The contract award may not be sufficient for the contractor to cover a significant fraction of vessel operating costs. All such considerations and vessel incentives are the responsibility of the contractor, who should take them into account when developing an offer. In deciding upon a bid, the contractor should consider the possibility that altered fishing gear may unintentionally reduce target species catch rates, and shall not expect NOAA fisheries to provide additional funding for this contingency. Specific tasks to be completed by the contractor : The contractor will conduct sea trials of alternate fishing gear in comparison with the commonly used standard gear. The alternate and standard gear will be tested in alternation in an unbiased (systematically staggered, and reordered), fashion along a daily longline set or on alternate days at the same general time of day and location. Only paired testing will count towards the contracted amount of fishing effort for payment. The contractor will observe, record, and conduct a simple summation of catch results that will contrast the catch (hooking and entanglement) of turtles and of fish between the equal amounts of alternative (treatment) and standard (control) fishing gear tested. The contractor will seek to remove fishing gear and release captured turtles as much as possible within the constraints of the fishery, and in as close as possible a manner to that described in NOAA guidelines for sea turtle handing and release. The recommended equipment for handling and release of sea turtles will be provided by NOAA. The contractor will observe, record, and report the rate of hook ingestion or more superficial internal or external hooking or entanglement of each turtle, as well the anatomical location of gear-inflicted injury, and the turtle condition upon release. The amount of fishing gear that remained on each released turtle and the degree to which each turtle remains entangled upon release will be also be observed and recorded. The trial fishing operations will otherwise be carried out in the normal manner as the rest of the commercial fishery in the proposed locale. All research fishing operations will be recorded by a scientific observer provided by the contractor, who will observe and report the quantity and general protocol for gear used on each set, including data on variables which may affect catch rates, such as the time and duration of the set, the weather, and the sea state. Deliverables: A progress report simply quantifying the fraction of work completed (fishing effort observed and recorded) and the treatment and control turtle bycatch rates will be provided by the contractor at the time of the second invoice. A draft final report summarizing all experimental results and providing the complete data set should be provided to NOAA for review one month before the final invoice. Any requests for revision of the final report will be returned to the contractor within two weeks of receipt of the draft final report. The period of performance is 9/2006 to 9/2007. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation, quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. All interested parties must respond to this announcement within (15) calendar days of ite publication. All responses must be in writing and may be faxed to (206)-527-7166 attention Melvin Fondue. The following provisions and clauses shall apply to this solicitation and resultant award. The provisions and clauses may be downloaded at: http://www.acqnet.gov/far 1. 52.213-4 TERMS AND CONDITIONS--SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITIONS (OTHER THAN COMMERCIAL ITEMS) (APR 2005) 2. 52.243-1 I CHANGES--FIXED-PRICE (AUG 1987)--ALTERNATE I (APR 1984) 3. 52.204-6 DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER (OCT 2003) 4. 52.204-7 CENTRAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION (OCT 2003) 5. 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (JAN 2005) 6. 52.219-1 SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM REPRESENTATIONS (MAY 2004) 7. 52.222-22 PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS (FEB 1999) 8. 52.222-25 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMPLIANCE (APR 1984) 9. 52.225-13 RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN FOREIGN PURCHASES (MAR 2005) 10. 1352.239-73 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES (OCT 2003)11. 1352.239-74 SECURITY PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTORS/SUBCONTRACTOR PERSONNEL FOR ACCESSING DOC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS (OCT 2003 12. 52.243-1 CHANGES--FIXED-PRICE (AUG 1987) 13. 52.244-6 SUBCONTRACTS FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS (Dec 2004) 14. 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998) ****The Western Regional Acquisition Division, requires that all contractors doing business with this Acquisition Office be registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) as of October 1, 2003. After this date, NO award can be made unless the vender is registered in CCR. For additional information and to register in CCR please access the following web site: http://www.ccr.gov. In order to register with the CCR and to be eligible to receive an award from this acquisition office, all offerors must have a Dun & Bradstreet Number. A Dun & Bradstreet number may be acquired free of charge by contacting Dun & Bradstreet on-line at www.dnb.com/eupdate or by phone at (800) 333-0505. All contractors are also required to complete online Representations and Certifications at HTTP://ORCA.BPN.GOV.
- Record
- SN01092466-W 20060721/060719220538 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |