SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Sources Sought – Study of Sea Turtle Fisheries Interactions in the Coral Triangle
- Notice Date
- 8/16/2016
- 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
- WE-133F-16-RQ-0878
- Archive Date
- 9/10/2016
- Point of Contact
- STEPHANIE M. GARNETT, Phone: (808) 725-5356
- E-Mail Address
-
STEPHANIE.M.GARNETT@NOAA.GOV
(STEPHANIE.M.GARNETT@NOAA.GOV)
- 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 International Fisheries Program (IFP) within the Fisheries Research and Monitoring Division (FRMD) of NOAA - Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) is working to better understand the fisheries interactions including direct take and bycatch rates of sea turtles and other marine megafauna in the Western Pacific. Understanding these fisheries dynamics in the Coral Triangle region is of great conservation importance. Fisheries interactions including direct take and bycatch occurring in industrial and small-scale coastal fisheries is an ongoing major threat to many marine taxa and in particular to several sea turtle populations. Dramatic population declines of several sea turtle species have been linked with bycatch associated with high-seas industrial fisheries, such as driftnets and longlines. Recent studies also show that small-scale fisheries pose a significant threat to sea turtles due to a range of factors. In particular, the take of sea turtles in coastal fisheries throughout the Western Pacific and Coral triangle region is thought to be problematic because of significant overlaps between fishing effort and sea turtle foraging habitats as well as sea turtle nesting beaches. Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), green (Chelonia mydas) - Central Western Pacific and Central South Pacific distinct population segments (DPSs), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles migrate through, establish foraging grounds, and for some species nest in this region. NOAA seeks a contractor to assist with fisheries research aimed at quantifying and developing solutions to the interactions between sea turtles and other marine megafauna with fisheries and fishing effort in the Coral Triangle region. The contractor will aid in two main projects: A) Quantifying fisheries interaction rates with the sea turtle species found in Filipino waters using a 2-pronged approach for data collection. B) Understanding sea turtle interactions with fisheries in the Maluku Islands, Indonesia. A) Quantifying fisheries interaction rates in coastal Filipino fisheries: To obtain empirical bycatch data from Filipino fishing vessels, we wish to establish a two-pronged approach: This includes (1) rapid assessments of fishing ports to obtain initial information on local fishing practices and turtle interactions; and followed by (2a) onboard fisheries observers to collect data on interaction and mortality rates from individual fishing vessels and (2b) use of electronic monitoring systems to augment onboard observers and help expand the overall observer coverage. This initial assessment will then form the basis of testing bycatch reduction technologies that may reduce turtle interactions without reducing target catch rates. B) Understanding sea turtle interactions with fisheries in the Maluku islands, Indonesia: To better assess the sea turtle interactions in direct fisheries as well as bycatch of sea turtles in coastal fisheries in the Maluku Islands, we wish to conduct rapid assessments in fishing villages that are known to interact with sea turtles. We also wish to establish long term assessments in key islands and villages to better understand the demographics of the turtles that are directly taken and/or caught as bycatch in coastal fisheries. Objectives and Scope of Work A) Quantifying fisheries interaction rates in coastal Filipino fisheries: NOAA seeks a contractor to initiate and carry out an investigation on the bycatch of sea turtles in Filipino coastal fisheries. The contractor will work with NOAA scientists to identify location in Palawan and other provinces to carry out rapid assessments of fishing communities to determine gear type, target catch, and interaction rates with sea turtles and other marine megafauna. A minimum of 3 locations will be assessed. In addition, the contractor will organize a small-scale coastal fisheries bycatch workshop with fishers, local fishery managers, national fishery managers, academics, and NGOs to discuss assessing bycatch in SSF, technologies that may be useful in mitigating those interactions, and potential locations to initial such gear trials. B) Understanding sea turtle interactions with fisheries in Maluku Islands, Indonesia: NOAA seeks a contractor to initiate and carry out an investigation on the direct take and the bycatch of sea turtles in the Maluku Islands. The contractor will work with NOAA scientists to identify location in the Kei Islands and in other locations with Indonesia to conduct an assessment of fisheries interactions. A minimum of 3 locations will be assess and long term assessment will be conducted in order to better understand the number, size, and if possible sex of the sea turtles interacting with fisheries as either direct take or bycatch. Tasks to be completed by contractor A) Quantifying fisheries interaction rates in coastal Filipino fisheries: (1) The contractor will conduct assessments of a minimum of 3 locations (as decided with NOAA approval). The assessment will include onsite interviews with fishermen, leaders of fishing villages, and fish buyers that focus on the vessels used, the gear type fished, the time of year, the fishing effort, the geographic effort, the target fish, the bycatch species, the amount caught, the value of the catch, and bycatch of marine megafauna such as sea turtles. (2) In the most promising site, the contractor will initiate an onboard observer program to gather empirical data of the fishing effort, target catch, and bycatch. (3) In coordination with NOAA scientists, the contractor will organize a organize a small-scale coastal fisheries bycatch workshop with fishers, local fishery managers, national fishery managers, academics, and NGOs to discuss assessing bycatch in SSF, technologies that may be useful in mitigating those interactions, and potential locations to initial gear trials. B) Understanding sea turtle interactions with fisheries in Kei islands, Indonesia: (1) The contractor will work with NOAA scientists to identify location in the Kei Islands and in other locations with Indonesia to conduct an assessment of fisheries interactions. Three locations will be assessed. The assessment will include onsite interviews with fishermen, leaders of fishing villages, and focus on the vessels used, the gear type fished, the time of year, the fishing effort, the geographic effort, the target fish, the bycatch species, the amount caught, the value of the catch, and bycatch of marine megafauna such as sea turtles. (2) The contractor working with NOAA Scientists will determine 1 to 2 locations for long term assessment (approx. 6 months) in order to better understand the number, size, and if possible sex of the sea turtles interacting with fisheries as either direct take or bycatch. Protocols for conducting such a long-term assessment will be decided upon in collaboration between the contractor and NOAA scientists. Special Requirements (1) The contractor must have a proven record of bycatch research and the development of bycatch reduction technologies aimed at reducing sea turtle bycatch for a variety of fisheries such as longline, gillnet, and trawl fisheries. (2) The contractor must have experience working in Indonesian and Filipino small-scale fisheries and must have proven on the ground, in country resources to conduct these assessments. (3) The contractor must have experience in organizing workshops specifically on the topic of bycatch in SSF. 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, August 26, 2016.
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