Fishing boat charter for FWS maryland fwco.

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking a fishing boat charter to support the Cooperative Striped Bass Tagging Program for the Maryland Fishery Resources Office. The solicitation requires a vessel capable of conducting 10-13 offshore fishing trips between January and March 2025, with the objective of tagging approximately 1,000 striped bass along the Atlantic coast. The boat must be a minimum of 40 feet, U.S. Coast Guard certified for 20 passengers, and capable of operating up to 30 miles offshore, equipped with radar, sonar, and specialized equipment. Quotations must be submitted via email by December 19, 2024, at 1700 EST, with evaluation criteria including price (best value), acceptable specifications, past performance from CPARS/FAPIIS, and the contracting officer's knowledge of the contractor's performance history. The boat's captain must possess a 100-ton U.S. Coast Guard license and have at least 5 years of striped bass charter fishing experience.

The contract is set aside for small businesses and will be administered by the FWS SAT Team 3 in Falls Church, Virginia. Potential contractors must submit a comprehensive proposal including their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), detailed service description, safety features, daily price rate, captain's credentials, vessel specifications, and experience documentation. The period of performance is from December 13-19, 2024, with delivery location at the FWS Maryland Fishery Resources Office in Annapolis, Maryland. Trips will be 8-12 hours long, conducted 7 days per week, including weekends and holidays, between 0600-1800 hours. An important amendment to the solicitation clarifies that fuel costs will be paid separately by the government, and contractors should not include fuel charges in their quotes. The work area covers Atlantic waters off Maryland, with potential extension to Delaware, New Jersey, or Virginia waters, supporting a long-standing conservation program that has been operational since 1985.