Statement of Work_Juvenile Rockfish Trawl Charter.pdf

CHARTER FOR STERN TRAWLER TO CONDUCT WEST COAST JUVENILE ROCKFISH SURVEY

STATEMENT OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS

The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, fuel, services and facilities (except as otherwise specified) to perform the following Statement of Work/Specifications:

A. OVERALL DESCRIPTION

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has a requirement to charter a trawl-capable vessel for up to 15 days of at-sea work between June 1 and June 15, 2020 off the Central California coast (between 36°N and 39° N latitude). Exact dates, length of surveys, and port calls will be determined in consultation with ship operator after award of contract.

The work will consist of conducting mid-water trawling for juvenile rockfish at a series of pre-determined locations. Trawling operation will be conducted between sunset and sunrise each day. Limited oceanographic instrument casts will be conducted during the dawn or dusk period before or after trawl operations commence. Daytime operations will consist of moving between nighttime sampling locations or hove to or drifting. The Government will supply the trawl nets, doors, associated rigging and other sampling gear for use by the scientific party at sea. The data collected will be used to inform assessments of various stocks of rockfish and other forage species (krill, coastal pelagic mesopelagic species).

An important consideration is that juvenile rockfish are only susceptible to capture until mid- June, after which they settle to the bottom and are no longer vulnerable to mid-water trawling.

Thus, the dates of the charter are time-certain between 1 and 18 June 2020.

B. VESSEL REQUIREMENTS

1. Overall vessel length of at least 60-feet.

2. Continuous horsepower output from main engine of at least 450 hp.

3. Demonstrated experience in deploying and towing a commercial-size two-warp mid-water fish trawl at a continuous speed of 2 knots. Government will provide trawl nets, doors and rigging.

4. Able to maintain a cruising speed of at least 8 knots

5. Three or more bunks, mattresses, bedding and towels in dedicated staterooms for scientists, which may include women.

6. Desirable to have 25 square feet or more of dedicated laboratory space with 110/115 v power.

7. Desirable to have a system for monitoring head-rope depth of mid-water trawl.

8. Desirable to have winch and associated davit for deploying environmental sensor package weighing approximately 50 to 100 lbs.

9. Minimum of two deck bins or comparable area for storage of sampling equipment and holding catches.

10. Crane or boom system must be capable of vertically raising and lowering cod-end anywhere along centerline of working deck.

11. Minimum of 20 cubic feet of freezer storage exclusive of space for ship's stores for stowing scientific samples and supplies.

12. Space on the Bridge of the vessel for one member of the science party to observe marine mammal and seabird distribution and abundance during some daylight hours, and conduct marine mammal watches during nighttime trawling operations.

13. Working toilet and shower.

C. CREW REQUIREMENTS

1. Sufficient crew personnel to conduct scientific operations on a 12-hour per day/ seven days per week basis while at sea.

2. In addition to the Captain, at least two experienced deck hands shall have at least two-years experience deploying commercial-size trawl gear.

2. Relevant employment experience shall be provided for each crewmember for the last three years. Similar documentation shall be submitted for approval of all replacement personnel proposed for use during the charter.

D. SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL

1. The scientific field party will consist of a maximum of 3 people, some of whom may be women.

2. One member of the scientific party will be designated as Cruise Leader. That person will be responsible for implementation of the Cruise Plan, disposition of catches and the conduct and performance of Government personnel aboard the vessel.

E. OPERATING PROCEDURES

1. The Contractor shall provide nutritionally balanced meals three (3) times (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and one (1) light snack each charter day. Meal times shall be coordinated with the Cruise Leader to accommodate both the need to complete sampling work and the time required to prepare meals by the cook.

2. The Cruise Leader in consultation with the Captain will determine the daily operations plan. The Cruise Leader will have final authority except in matters relating to safety of the vessel and vessel personnel.

3. Vessel will be considered off-charter should mechanical failure or inadequate staffing prevent it from preforming the scientific mission.

4. The Cruise Leader and Captain will work together to resolve all problems that may arise while at sea. In the event the Cruise Leader and Captain are unable to resolve any problem which has the potential for invalidating the survey or threatens the safety of the field party, Cruise Leader will direct the vessel to return to port where an acceptable solution will be arranged between the Government and the Contractor or the charter may be terminated. The vessel will be considered off charter if required to return to port and will remain off charter until the problem has been resolved.

5. The Captain and crew shall exercise due caution and follow safety procedures as directed by the Cruise Leader to help prevent damage or loss of Government gear and equipment. The Cruise Leader may present specific safety procedures in writing to the Captain. If loss of or damage to Government equipment is the result of negligent disregard of such instructions and procedures, repair or replacement costs may be deducted from charter payments.

6. All fish and shellfish taken in the trawl remain the property of the Government. The Cruise Leader is responsible for their disposition.

F. SAFETY

1. The vessel Captain is responsible for all matters relating to safety of personnel, the vessel, and equipment operation. The Captain shall adhere at all times to Navigational Rules and Rules of the Road while towing, running, drifting, or when at anchor. He/she shall review safety procedures and equipment with the scientific party at the beginning of each cruise leg.

2. The Contractor shall provide U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets and survival suits for all embarked personnel. Adequate dry, topside storage for all survival suits shall be provided.

3. The Captain shall post a wheel/anchor watch at night and during the daytime while the vessel runs to the next station, drifts, lies at anchor, or runs to the first station early in the morning to ensure that the vessel and all crew are secure.

G. GOVERNMENT-PROVIDED EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

1. Government will provide trawl nets, doors and rigging. It will also supply other sampling equipment and instruments, data logging computers, sample preservation supplies, personal foul weather gear for scientific party.

H. POST-AWARD AND POST-SURVEY MEETINGS

1. Upon award of contract and prior to the start of the charter, a post-award meeting will be held at an agreed upon location to discuss issues relating to the charter and survey. The vessel manager and the Captain are required to attend the meeting. The COR upon award of the contract will schedule the location, date and time of the meeting.

2. Periodically throughout the charter progress meetings may be held. The purpose of the meetings is to provide the charter operator an evaluation of the performance of the vessel and crew during the charter. At a minimum, the vessel manager is required to attend the debriefing. The location, date and time of these meetings will be scheduled by the COR.