Request for Information: NOAA Fisheries AFSC Marine Mammal Observer Program
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- NOAA-AG0-WAD-SRW-25-10
- Agency
-
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Commerce
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- PSC
- Not on record
- Place of performance
- Alaska, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through its Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) is seeking sampling services and electronic monitoring (EM) technology support for marine mammal and seabird interaction monitoring in Southeast Alaska's commercial salmon drift gillnet fisheries. The Request for Information (RFI) aims to gather industry input on a draft Performance Work Statement for marine mammal observation services in 2025 and 2026. Key contract requirements include providing qualified fishery observers, boat operators, and EM systems to achieve 10% fishery coverage, with approximately one-third of coverage via traditional observers and two-thirds via electronic monitoring. Vendors must submit capability statements by January 27, 2025, with preliminary questions due by January 10, 2025, to sarah.waugh@noaa.gov. Evaluation criteria will likely focus on vendors' ability to meet observer qualifications, provide appropriate vessels, and effectively implement electronic monitoring technologies.
The pre-solicitation notice indicates no specific set-aside designations, and the current field trials have been conducted with Archipelago Marine Resources. The program is classified under NAICS code 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services) with a $19 million size standard. The contract will cover four fishing districts and seven terminal harvest areas, involving 350-400 permit holders operating small vessels between 4-18 meters in length. The work aims to sample 1,000 24-hour fishing days annually, with 333.3 observer days and 666.7 EM days. Performance measures will include 100% EM installation rates, professional fisher liaison, complete observer deployment, and 95% data accuracy, representing a significant shift from traditional observer-only monitoring to a more cost-effective hybrid approach.
Notice text
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
Update 1/17/2025: Please see attached PDF with questions and answers.
AFSC seeks industry input into the draft performance work statement (PWS), attached. AFSC welcomes any comments, concerns, or suggestions to clarify or improve the PWS, especially from vendors interested in participating in any future contract.
This is a Request for Information (RFI), for market research purposes, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 10 Procedures. This is not a solicitation, nor does it guarantee a solicitation will be issued. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This is not a request for proposals and it does not obligate the government in any manner.
Background
The FMA Division desires to obtain sampling services and electronic monitoring technology
support for the collection of fisheries data including fishing effort, gear characteristics and
marine mammal and seabird interactions during the commercial salmon drift gillnet fisheries
operating in inland waters of Southeast Alaska in 2025 and 2026.
The FMA Division plans to shift monitoring methods from a traditionally observer centric
program to one that employs electronic monitoring (EM) methods. Direct observation of the
fishery has historically been obtained from separate platforms requiring the program to procure
vessels and boat operators in addition to fishery observers which is extremely costly. EM has
been shown to be minimally intrusive to fishing operations and has the potential to document
fishing effort and marine mammal interaction at a fraction of the cost of fishery observers,
allowing the program to obtain higher coverage levels and more precise bycatch estimates.
While EM has been an effective method for monitoring marine mammal interaction in other
gillnet fisheries, the application of EM for the AMMOP has not yet been attempted. In 2023 and
2024, FMA partnered with Archipelago Marine Resources to conduct field trials deploying several
types of EM systems on SEAK drift gillnet vessels during salmon season. Results of those trials
have been promising: Vessels have adequate power to support small EM systems, there is space
to install small EM units on several vessel configurations in locations that are accessible but that
also do not impede fishing operations, camera views and image quality can capture seabird and
marine mammal interaction with the nets.
Update #1 ·
AFSC seeks industry input into the draft performance work statement (PWS), attached. AFSC welcomes any comments, concerns, or suggestions to clarify or improve the PWS, especially from vendors interested in participating in any future contract.
This is a Request for Information (RFI), for market research purposes, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 10 Procedures. This is not a solicitation, nor does it guarantee a solicitation will be issued. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This is not a request for proposals and it does not obligate the government in any manner.
Background
The FMA Division desires to obtain sampling services and electronic monitoring technology
support for the collection of fisheries data including fishing effort, gear characteristics and
marine mammal and seabird interactions during the commercial salmon drift gillnet fisheries
operating in inland waters of Southeast Alaska in 2025 and 2026.
The FMA Division plans to shift monitoring methods from a traditionally observer centric
program to one that employs electronic monitoring (EM) methods. Direct observation of the
fishery has historically been obtained from separate platforms requiring the program to procure
vessels and boat operators in addition to fishery observers which is extremely costly. EM has
been shown to be minimally intrusive to fishing operations and has the potential to document
fishing effort and marine mammal interaction at a fraction of the cost of fishery observers,
allowing the program to obtain higher coverage levels and more precise bycatch estimates.
While EM has been an effective method for monitoring marine mammal interaction in other
gillnet fisheries, the application of EM for the AMMOP has not yet been attempted. In 2023 and
2024, FMA partnered with Archipelago Marine Resources to conduct field trials deploying several
types of EM systems on SEAK drift gillnet vessels during salmon season. Results of those trials
have been promising: Vessels have adequate power to support small EM systems, there is space
to install small EM units on several vessel configurations in locations that are accessible but that
also do not impede fishing operations, camera views and image quality can capture seabird and
marine mammal interaction with the nets.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| AFSC Alaska Marine Mammal Observer Program RFI Q-A.pdf | ||
| AMMOP_PWS_12172024.pdf | ||
| AFSC Alaska Marine Mammal Observer Program RFI.docx | DOCX document |
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