SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- An Inventory of Best Available Science on Bycatch Mitigation Measures Across Taxa
- Notice Date
- 7/11/2017
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service, SSMC 3, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20910
- Solicitation Number
- NFFR7400-17-03217
- Archive Date
- 8/5/2017
- Point of Contact
- STEPHANIE M. GARNETT, Phone: (808) 725-5356, ,
- E-Mail Address
-
STEPHANIE.M.GARNETT@NOAA.GOV,
(STEPHANIE.M.GARNETT@NOAA.GOV, /div)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT. IT IS NOT A SOLICITATION, NOR DOES IT GUARANTEE A SOLICITATION WILL BE ISSUED. REQUESTS FOR A SOLICITATION WILL NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. Any information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Announcement is strictly voluntary. The Government will neither award a contract solely based on this notice, nor pay for any information submitted by respondents. This notice is a request by the Government to collect information from interested vendors for the purpose of market research. Failing to provide a response to this announcement will not prohibit/exclude an interested vendor from participating in a future solicitation. The Government is looking for vendors who can perform the following: Background/Overview: Bycatch is a global conservation concern for species incidentally caught in fishing gear and released due to lack of commercial value or due to their protections under the law. Research efforts are underway globally to mitigate bycatch in nearly every gear type; promising research has focused on strategies that modify fishing practices or gear (Senko et al. 2014). Over the past two decades, increased awareness of the impacts of bycatch, particularly of protected species (e.g. marine mammals and sea turtles) and other species of concern (e.g. sharks and seabirds) has led to trials and implementation of fishing gear and practice modifications that have resulted in reductions in bycatch (Hall et al. 2000; Gilman et al. 2005, 2006, 2009; Werner et al. 2006; Senko et al. 2014). Bycatch mitigation and management efforts are often aimed at addressing specific species or fisheries. Learning from these experiences is often ad-hoc, as opportunities for information exchange are often restricted to occasional workshops (e.g., involving a limited number of participants and countries) or to scientists studying specific taxa. Since bycatch is a considerable global problem, it must be addressed through international cooperation. Fisheries managed by tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) occur throughout the world's oceans, and their ability to impact non-targeted species is significant. Providing the best and most up-to-date information on bycatch mitigation research across ocean basins is crucial for reducing global bycatch. Understanding the performance of mitigation measures has been identified as a priority for tuna fisheries (ISSF 2012). Additional studies and new mitigation measures have since been developed that can be used to inform future bycatch reduction studies and management (e.g., Rabearisoa et al. 2012, Wang et al. 2013, Senko et al. 2014, Wiedenfeld et al. 2015, Lopez et al. 2016, Ortiz et al. 2016, Sullivan et al. 2016). An improved, comprehensive understanding of which strategies are effective (and which are not) at reducing bycatch, where they are effective, and how they impact multiple taxa is strongly needed. The proposed vendor would review gear and fishing practice modifications and post-capture release procedures to determine effectiveness in reducing bycatch and increasing post-capture survivability of marine species. The work would focus on gears used by tuna RFMOs (e.g., purse seine, gillnet, and longline) that result in bycatch of protected species and species of concern (e.g., marine mammal, sea turtle, seabird, shark, and billfish). Recommendations resulting from this work will identify where evidence-based research suggests best practices are most likely to reduce bycatch, where more research is needed, and what other measures should be considered in circumstances where best practices are unlikely to sufficiently mitigate bycatch. Providing fishery managers and scientists with this science-based information will help them identify where to focus limited resources to improve bycatch mitigation, advance future research, and effectively implement management. This requirement addresses NOAA's long-term mission goal of providing healthy oceans, requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the goal of the National Bycatch Reduction Strategy (2016) to reduce bycatch and bycatch mortality, and requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act to protect certain species. Objectives: The resulting outcome would be an inventory of best available science on bycatch mitigation measures across taxa (e.g., marine mammal, sea turtle, seabird, shark, and billfish) in an effort to make this information readily available for use by scientists and fisheries managers. This work will describe best available methods specific to purse seine, gillnet, and longline fisheries. Results will be presented at upcoming RFMO scientific committee meetings as well as additional working groups. Scope of Work: A document will be provided to describe in detail the most up-to-date information on best means to reduce bycatch of marine mammals, sea turtle, seabird, shark, and billfish in purse seine, gillnet, and longline fisheries. All information will be backed up by sources and in many cases, visuals will also be necessary for specific detailed information. Tasks: The text for the above mentioned requirement will have the quality to be suitable for a peer-review publication. The contractor will provide all first drafts and will lead the paper to publication in major fisheries or marine science journal. The appendix of the paper will include diagrams with specific information regarding bycatch reduction techniques. It is possible to replace the visuals with tables if necessary. Proposed Period of Performance: August 15, 2017- February 1, 2018 Place of Performance: Performance will be at the contractor's facility. Government-Furnished Property (GFP): There will no GFP that will be provided to the contractor for use during the performance of the contract. The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) is 541990 with a size standard of $15.0 million. Interested vendors are requested to provide the following information in response to this Sources Sought Announcement: 1) A statement that you believe your firm has the capability to meet all above stated requirements. 2) Your firm's DUNS number & CAGE code; 3) Your firm's SBA certified small business concern status. Specifically identify if your firm is HUBZone-certified, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, or in the SBA's 8(a) program, etc. If your firm is not small, please state that it is a large business. 4) A brief description of your firm's past experience (within past 3 years) performing similar services. The information provided in response to this announcement is limited to five pages or less. All information shall be provided free of charge to the Government. The Government will not return any data provided in response to this announcement. This request for information does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for proprietary information not properly identified. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations. Responses shall be provided to Contracting Officer, Stephanie Garnett via email at Stephanie.M.Garnett@noaa.gov no later than 10:00 AM (Hawaii Time) on Wednesday, July 21, 2017.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/NMFSJJ/NFFR7400-17-03217/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: United States
- Record
- SN04573807-W 20170713/170711234439-0b28155b9d427f6ebacaf1a5182cafee (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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