SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Leatherback Sea Turtle Bycatch Assessment in East Pacific Ocean
- Notice Date
- 8/25/2017
- 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
- PIFSC-17-SS07
- Archive Date
- 9/15/2017
- 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. I. Background: The Pacific leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) has been designated a "Species in the Spotlight" by NOAA Fisheries, and is predicted to face extinction in the near future if actions to reduce threats and stabilize populations are not implemented. The steep decline in the Pacific leatherback turtle populations is attributed to a combination of anthropogenic and environmental factors. Unintended capture of adult and immature leatherback turtles by fisheries operating within this species' foraging grounds are of particular concern, given the strong influence that these life stages have on population dynamics. The NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight 5-Year Action Plan for Pacific Leatherback Turtles (2016) acknowledges that the majority of threats facing this species occur outside US jurisdiction, and that international partnerships are necessary in order to reduce fisheries bycatch and stabilize populations. Specifically, the Action Plan recommends establishment of monitoring programs to characterize fisheries interactions in foreign fleets, and additional research to better characterize seasonal foraging areas and potential hot spots for fisheries interactions. The Government is seeking qualified vendors to provide quantitative and qualitative assessments of bycatch in longline and gillnet fisheries operating off the coasts of Panama and Colombia, with an emphasis on documenting the nature and frequency of interactions with leatherback turtles. NOAA seeks vendors who can establish targeted on-board fisheries observer programs in this region to identify bycatch species (including sea turtles, sharks, marine mammals, and birds), document direct mortality of bycatch species, collect biological samples from sea turtles for genetic studies, and train fishermen on best practices for handling and releasing sea turtles and other bycatch species from fishing gear. These activities will permit an assessment of the scope and nature of bycatch in these countries, and contribute to region-wide efforts to characterize fisheries interactions with the critically endangered Pacific leatherback turtle. These efforts are necessary in order to devise conservation strategies to stabilize and recover Pacific leatherback turtle populations. II. Description of Work: A. The vendor shall establish a fisheries observer program in the region of Panama and Colombia, including hiring and training of observers, whereby data representing 3% of total fishing effort is observed. The vendor shall provide all necessary logistical support, captains, and scientific crew to participate. Data requirements include all catch composition and biometric data specific to selected target and bycatch species. Observer locations and specific tasks will be designed in collaboration with NOAA. B. The vendor shall provide a characterization of the fleets, including information such as gears employed, spatial and temporal aspects, and total fishing effort. Information may be obtained via interviews or surveys with fishermen and other sources. Information reported will also include summaries of interviews with fishermen regarding attitudes and beliefs regarding sea turtle bycatch. Fleet characterization from these observations and interviews will be summarized in the final report. C. The vendor shall train fishermen on best practices for handling and releasing sea turtles and other bycatch species from fishing gear using NOAA approved manuals and techniques. Photos and training materials will be submitted in a final report. III. Minimum Qualifications: 1) The vendor shall have at least five years professional work experience with the sea turtle bycatch issues in the fisheries of the East Pacific Ocean. 2) The vendor shall have proven record (eg peer review journal article authorship and/or previous contracts) conducting sea turtle bycatch assessments and involvement with fisheries observer programs in Latin America. 3) Fluency in both Spanish and English. Proposed Period of Performance: September 15, 2017 - September 14, 2018 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, August 31, 2017.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/NMFSJJ/PIFSC-17-SS07/listing.html)
- Record
- SN04646838-W 20170827/170825231221-b35b04f68c7356df13305638580923d3 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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