18-02713_Vessel_Charter_SON.pdf

STATEMENT OF NEED

NFFP7300-18-02713

Salmon near-shore sampling

April 30, 2018

1.0 ORGANIZATION

1.1 Organization: The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC) is a government agency charged with the mission of stewardship for living marine resources.

1.2 Background and Objectives: The NWFSC has been studying Pacific salmon marine ecology during their critical first summer in marine waters since 1998 with the Juvenile Salmon & Ocean Ecosystem Survey (JSOES). This survey uses a Nordic Trawl that cannot be used in waters shallower than 30 m. This eliminates the possibility of sampling in many nearshore environments. The purpose of this study is to sample shallow habitats that JSOES is unable to sample.

Specific Objectives:

1. Determine the efficacy of using hook and line sampling to estimate the distribution and abundance of juvenile Pacific salmon in nearshore environments of Washington State.

2. Obtain fish for genetic stock, growth, and age sampling.

3. Obtain fish in a condition suitable for tagging.

Fishing trips for the base period consisting of a maximum of 42 boat-days will occur between June 2018 and September 2019. There will also be an option period 1 for additional fishing trips consisting of a maximum of 30 boat-days for the period of September 2019 to September 2020, to be exercised if funds are available and there is still a government need. One or two boats may fish on the same day to increase fishing effort. Fishing will occur during and outside of the normal fishing season for salmon. Fishing trips will occur in nearshore environments off the coast of Washington State near the mouth of the Columbia River departing from the Port of Ilwaco, WA.

In general, we will plan to fish at four or five sites each day. Sites will be selected based on JSOES sampling locations; however, there will be room for additional sampling sites based on captain’s input during the study.

We will use hook-and-line bottom fishing methods and gear that charter boat captains commonly use during the salmon recreational fishery. However, we may use smaller gear to facilitate capturing smaller individuals. Each fishing day will consist of fishing at numerous sites each day in order to standardize the amount of effort at each site during each phase of tidal cycle.

This will necessitate transiting among sites often.

Biologists will record species id, length and weight data for each fish collected. All fish will be retained after capture, unless the fish is tagged and released.

There will always be at least one biologist on board to record data and sample fish. The fishers on board the charter will be made up of experienced fisher volunteers invited by the charter boat captains or NWFSC personnel. It is our intention to involve the greater recreational fishing community in this project as volunteers to collect the samples, and we would encourage charter boat captains to recommend volunteers they deem “experienced” in salmon fishing.

2.0 SERVICES REQUIRED

2.1 The NWFSC needs 1 or potentially 2 (if a second boat is available within a single vendor’s fleet) recreationally-focused charter vessels and captains to take biologists and other fishing crew on daily hook-and-line salmon fishing trips to sample Pacific salmon in the nearshore environment off the coast of Washington, departing from the Port of Ilwaco, WA. A typical day would last between 6 – 10 hours depending on tidal and fishing conditions.

2.2 Chartered vessels must be of sufficient size and equipped with fishing gear (fishing rods, bait, hooks and/or lures, lead weights and other necessary tackle) to carry 3 fishers and 1 biologist and capable of having up to 4 persons fishing at one time.

2.3 Chartered vessels must ensure there is appropriate and ample amount of fishing gear (fishing rods, hooks for baited lines, lead weights, frozen bait, etc.) on board to fish an entire day each day. Because salmon fishing may result in a large amount of lost gear (lead weights, hooks, bait, etc.) please account for this and include costs of lost gear and bait in your quote. After consulting with captains, NWFSC will purchase artificial lures for fishing operations. Captains will be responsible for all other gear for frozen and live baits and any leaders, snaps, etc.

required for attaching artificial lures to fishing lines.

2.4 Chartered vessels must have some method of keeping fish alive during the fishing trip, as would be done during normal recreational fishing activities or at least have space on deck for a small portable live well provided by NOAA with seawater circulation provided by the boat.

2.5 Chartered vessels must be capable of transiting among numerous fishing sites each day at speeds that will not limit access. Please include ‘normal cruising speed’ in the submitted cover sheet.

2.6 Chartered vessels must have electronics capable of detecting bottom depths from 0 to 800 feet and navigating safely in the region of fishing. Provide a list of electronics on the vessel in the bid submission.

2.7 Each qualified captain and chartered vessel should be available to take scientists out between 1 and 42 days between June 2018 and September 2019 during the base period. This includes days during and outside of the normal salmon fishing season and during other fishing seasons.

2.8 Some fishing trips will occur on successive days depending on tidal conditions and scheduling of the entire project. If you are bidding from outside of your vessel’s “home” port, please account for any moorage fees or additional fuel costs in your bid. We require meeting the vessel at the Port of Ilwaco, WA.

3.0 SKILLS REQUIRED

3.1 Captains must have all required U.S. Coast Guard licenses for operating the chartered vessel. Provide documentation in bid submission.

3.2 Captains of chartered vessels should have experience catching salmon in nearshore ocean environments. Captains should submit resume and references to substantiate experience. In the resume, please also include any scientific sampling or surveys that you have been involved with in the past, regardless of species involved in the sampling.

3.3 Captains of chartered vessels should have at least 3 years of experience operating charter boat operations for salmon in nearshore coastal waters.

3.4 Captains must have insurance for carrying all passengers on board. Provide documentation in bid submission.

3.5 Captains must be willing to invite experienced volunteers to come on board and fish.

3.6 Captains must be willing to consult with NWFSC biologists regarding weather, sampling sites, and sampling depths. The NWFSC recognizes that the captain’s experience in their region of expertise is most valuable and we would defer to their choice of fishing sites in most instances. However, the NWFSC have some specific sampling locations that need to be included and an overall sampling design that will need to be met by the end of the study.

4.0 DELIVERABLES

The vendor will provide the following deliverables to assist in addressing the objective and questions in section 1.2 of this statement of work.

4.1 Vendors shall provide a captain and at least one crewman with the skills required to successfully fish for salmon and a vessel equipped with all the necessary safety equipment for navigating waters in the region of interest, equipped with all the necessary fishing gear for up to 4 persons fishing at the same time for 6 – 10 hours, and capable of carrying up to 6 total persons.

5.0 PERFORMANCE

5.1 Place of Performance

Fishing activities will occur in nearshore ocean environments in the vicinity of the mouth of the Columbia River, departing from the Port of Ilwaco, WA.

5.2 Period of Performance

Fishing activities during the base period will occur from June 2018 to September 2019 until all chartered fishing days have been used or permit limitations require us to stop fishing.

Option Period Offerors shall quote an Option Period 1 for additional fishing trips consisting of a maximum of 30 boat-days for the period of September 2019 to September 2020.

This option period will be exercised at the sole discretion of the government, based on if funds are available and there is still a government need.

Each bid must contain a detailed description of how the captain will operate the boat during fishing operations and how you would keep live bait alive for use prior to, if necessary, and during daily fishing trips. Please include the operating statement and include the following information with the quote: business name, captain’s name(s), vessel’s name(s), size and normal cruising speed of vessel(s), No. of persons vessel(s) can carry, quote per day of fishing (this should include all costs of the charter including tackle and bait and any additional costs associated with fishing away from the vessel’s “home” port).

Vendors must be registered with SAM (System for Award Management) in order to be awarded this contract. This must be completed before award. If you are not registered with SAM, please create an account, register with SAM (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/##11) and provide the DUNS number, CAGE number, and Tax identification number.