U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, WASC, Procurement Division, R&D Contracting Branch WC33, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115

H -- INSPECT AND CERTIFY SCALES ON BOARD SEAFOOD PROCESSOR VESSELS SOL WC33-96-1 DUE 071996 POC Mail only. ATTN: Procurement Assistant -''R&D Contracting Branch WC33.'' This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. This is NOT A SOLICITATION. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is seeking information on the existence and availability of firms that could inspect and certify motion compensated belt-conveyor scales on board seafood processor vessels that operate in the groundfish fisheries off Alaska. Performance standards, specifications, and test procedures to certify these scales are being developed by NMFS. Scale inspections would have to be performed while the processor vessels are docked in the Puget Sound area of Western Washington state and in Alaska ports. Inspections could occur at any time during the year in either location. Approximately 130 processor vessels participate in the groundfish fisheries off Alaska, however, it is uncertain at this time how many of these vessels would be required to weigh catch at sea and the timing of implementation of scale requirements. At this time, NMFS anticipates that approximately 15 processor vessels would be required to have scales certified between June and December, 1997. An additional 20 processors may require certifications in 1988 and an additional 30 in 1999. Any firms interested in preforming processor vessel scale inspections and certifications should provide the following information in writing by July 19, 1996.: company name, mailing address, telephone number, point of contact, brief description of the firm including qualifications of the staff to perform the scale inspections, and additional information about the scale certification program that the firm would like to have included in a future solicitation. Issuance of this announcement does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Interested sources should submit the above referenced information to: The above address, citing ''WC33-96-1'' (0170)

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