DEPARTMENT JUSTIFICATION LETTER.pdf

THAD COCHRAN MARINE AQUACULTURE CENTER | GULF COAST RESEARCH LABORATORY

703 East Beach Drive | Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Subject: Sole Source Justification – Vaki SmartFlow Aquaculture System

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) seeks approval to procure a Vaki SmartFlow aquaculture system consisting of a 6” Smart Pump, Smart Grader, MACRO Counter (4 Channel), PLC Display, PLC Scanner, and associated cabling for use at the Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC).

This procurement qualifies as a sole source purchase based on both exclusive availability and unique technical capabilities required for the project.

Vaki Aquaculture Ltd., owned by Merck Animal Health and operated in the United States by Biomark, is the sole manufacturer and exclusive distributor of Vaki-branded fish handling, counting, and grading systems in the United States.

The manufacturer has formally certified that no other vendors are authorized to sell, service, or support these systems domestically. This exclusivity extends to all proprietary components, replacement parts, software (SmartFlow), and technical support services. As a result, no third-party reseller or alternative vendor can provide equivalent equipment or lifecycle support for this system.

In addition to sole distribution, the requested system possesses unique, proprietary capabilities that are not functionally interchangeable with other products in the marketplace. Specifically:

The Vaki MACRO fish counter utilizes line-scanning camera technology capable of achieving greater than 98% counting accuracy across a wide size range (0.01 g to 12 kg). This level of precision is critical for research-grade data collection and stock assessment and is not replicated by alternative counter technologies (e.g., infrared or resistive systems), which lack comparable accuracy and size-range flexibility.

The Vaki SmartFlow platform is the only integrated control system that natively synchronizes fish pumps, graders, and counters into a single automated workflow. This allows for real-time coordination of fish transfer, grading, and enumeration while minimizing handling events. Competing systems require separate, non-integrated components, resulting in increased fish stress, higher mortality risk, and reduced data integrity.

The system enables automated grading and handling with minimal physical interaction, which is essential for maintaining fish health and survival in research and production settings, particularly for Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) within an Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) framework.

The TCMAC project, in collaboration with Dauphin Island Sea Lab, requires precise, repeatable biological data collection and low-stress fish handling protocols to ensure the success of stocking efforts and long-term research outcomes. The integrated nature of the Vaki system is necessary to meet these requirements. Use of non-integrated or less accurate systems would introduce unacceptable variability in data, increase mortality, and compromise project objectives.

While other vendors may offer individual components such as pumps, graders, or counters, no other provider offers a fully integrated system with equivalent accuracy, interoperability, and centralized control capabilities. Therefore, alternative products are not considered acceptable substitutes for the intended application.

Pricing for this procurement has been reviewed and determined to be fair and reasonable based on direct manufacturer quotation, the highly specialized nature of the equipment, and the inclusion of proprietary software, system integration, and ongoing technical support. Due to the sole manufacturer/distributor relationship, no competitive pricing channels exist.

For these reasons, this procurement meets the criteria for sole source acquisition under State of Mississippi and USM procurement regulations.

Dr. Reginald Blaylock, Director TCMAC

Les Graham Reg Blaylock