SOW.GARFO_Rec_Workshops.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK

Recreational Management Workshop Facilitation and Event Planning

I. Background

The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for the stewardship of the Nation’s living marine resources from Maine to North Carolina, and includes the Great Lakes under its authority. GARFO’s vision is a future in which the American people continue to benefit from a healthy ocean and coastal ecosystems in the Greater Atlantic Region. Our mission encompasses the stewardship of living marine and diadromous resources through science-based conservation and management, focused on protection and restoration of healthy coastal ecosystems.

Recreational fisheries management has been a constant challenge. When managing a commercial fishery, GARFO issues permits and requires vessel owners and the dealers to whom they sell their fish to report catch information. GARFO monitors catch using these reports, among others, and can relatively accurately say how many vessels are fishing for a particular type of fish and how many of those fish they are catching. Recreational fishing requires state licenses, which are relatively inexpensive and easy to get, but not Federal permits, so knowing how many members of the public may fish for a certain species is difficult to ascertain. GARFO estimates that approximately 1 million people take 5 million recreational saltwater fishing trips in New England each year. Further, estimating how many fish are caught by 1 million people is extraordinarily difficult. GARFO utilizes survey methods to estimate catch and effort.

However, each year, GARFO is charged with managing recreational fisheries to overall catch limits like we do commercial fisheries. The data uncertainty and scope of recreational fishing make this very complicated. Setting management measures for federally managed recreational fisheries requires consultation with the appropriate regional fishery management council, its Advisory Panel, and the recreational fishing community. Coming to agreement on what those measures should be is complex and controversial. Therefore, GARFO is seeking assistance in hosting a series of workshops to address recreational fisheries management in New England. These workshops would be an extension of a workshop held in November 2017.

II. Scope of Work

NOAA Fisheries Service, Greater Atlantic Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division is in need of securing a workshop facilitation and event planner to assist with the planning organization, coordination, and execution of up to four (4) recreational management workshops in New England. Estimates are for approximately 25 attendees per workshop which are full day (8 hour) events. The contractor will assist government with research comparison of hotels and potential locations, managing meeting spaces, rental/use of office equipment and audio/visual equipment, coordination of transportation of participants, and facilitation of the workshops. The contractor shall develop an action list and carry out all required actions in accordance with any deadlines reasonably imposed by NOAA Fisheries Service, Sustainable Fisheries Division. The action list should be developed with a detailed schedule of pre-event planning tasks and during event tasks to include onsite logistical management prior to and during the workshops.

III. Requirements

The Contractor shall:

a. Provide meeting planning services, including acquiring a meeting space and coordinating attendees.

b. Have knowledge of NOAA Fisheries Service and their mission.

c. Facilitate the workshops on specific recreational fisheries issues.

d. Provide a report to be used by NMFS and the Council on results of the workshops.

IV. Deliverables

· Meeting planning and facilitation.

· Final report on workshop results.

V. Period of Performance

September 1, 2018 - August 31, 2019.

The workshops should be held between November 2018 and February 2019, with a final report delivered no later than August 31, 2019.