KDFWR - Ohio River Basin Invasive Carp Contract Fishing Prog

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is requesting bids to establish a master agreement with multiple qualified commercial fishermen for the Ohio River Basin Invasive Carp Contract Fishing Program, with bids due September 23, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Written questions are due September 8, 2026. A Kentucky resident bidder reciprocal preference applies, and qualified bidder preferences of 20 percent for Kentucky Correctional Industries and 15 percent for other designated nonprofits are available.

Bidders must hold a valid current commercial fishing license, maintain current boat registration from their state of residence, and possess a minimum of three years of commercial fishing experience with at least two years holding a valid commercial fishing license. Participants must fish a minimum of four days per week (weather and river conditions permitting), maintain familiarity with invasive carp species identification and targeting methods including gill netting and side-scan sonar technology, and provide all necessary labor and equipment. A helper must be retained for daily harvesting operations. The program targets Silver Carp, Bighead Carp, Grass Carp, and Black Carp from the Ohio River and its tributaries.

Compensation is set at $1,200 per day for eight hours of work, or $150 per hour for partial days, with prorated payment for days exceeding eight hours if more than 6,000 pounds of invasive carp are harvested. Invoices are processed biweekly. The initial contract period is one year from award, with four optional one-year renewal periods and a potential 90-day extension. Contractors operate on an as-needed basis throughout the contract period.

Bidders must submit required affidavits under Kentucky Revised Statutes 45A.110 and 45A.115, proof of Commercial General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, Kentucky Tax Registration, and a completed Short-Form Application. All bids must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service system; paper bids are not acceptable. Award will be made on a best-value basis using pass/fail evaluation of required qualifications.