Marine Mammal Rescue Program in Newfoundland

This requirement is for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)

Title: Marine Mammal Rescue Program in Newfoundland

OBJECTIVES OF THE REQUIREMENT

The purpose of DFO’s Programme for the Rescue of Entrapped/Stranded Marine Animals in Distress is to provide a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week toll-free telephone line for commercial fishers and members of the public to report stranded and/or entrapped marine animals, and maintain a ready team to respond to and assist or release entrapped and stranded marine animals.

It aims to ensure the safe release of Whales, Leatherback sea turtles and other marine animals and cetaceans from commercial fishing gear, thus providing both a direct mitigation for species currently listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), and decreasing damage to commercial fishing gear. The programme has the added benefit of both improving communications with commercial fishers and the general public regarding marine animal conservation and providing an opportunity to collect scientific data to improve our understanding of these species.

The purpose of DFO’s Programme for the Rescue of Entrapped/Stranded Marine Animals in Distress is to provide a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week toll-free telephone line for commercial fishers and members of the public to report stranded and/or entrapped marine animals and maintain a ready team to respond to and assist or release entrapped and/or stranded marine animals.

BACKGROUND

Assistance to fishers who have marine animals entrapped in their fishing gear has been provided throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, by various organizations, since the late 1970s. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) provides funding, along with other logistics and equipment support, for the delivery of this service.

This programme addresses incidents throughout the entire Newfoundland and Labrador Region, which typically experiences more large marine animal entanglements than any other region of the country. With an expansive coastline and ocean area, high cetacean species diversity, widespread commercial fishing activity, high stakeholder/public expectations and a small Non-Government Organization (NGO) community, to date the best means to respond to these stranded and entrapped animals has been through DFO delivering a Programme for the Rescue of Entrapped/Stranded Marine Animals in Distress. The potential location and timing of such incidents is unknown.

The contractor is required to deliver the project in accordance with the Statement of Work ONLY in situations and conditions considered safe for such delivery. Under no circumstances should contractor attempt a rescue of a marine animal if environmental/weather conditions, or the logistical circumstances are not reasonable and safe.

PERIOD OF CONTRACT

The contractor is responsible for delivery of the rescue and strandings programme for marine animals in distress (as outlined above) for the period June 1, 2016 to May 30, 2017, with three (3) irrevocable options to renew for additional one (1) year periods.

MAXIMUM FUNDING

The maximum funding available for the Contract resulting from the bid solicitation is $ 71,000.00 (Applicable Taxes extra). Bids valued in excess of this amount will be considered non-responsive. This disclosure does not commit Canada to pay the maximum funding available.

SECURITY

None.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the mandatory evaluation criteria as detailed herein. Bidders’ Proposals must clearly demonstrate that they meet all Mandatory Requirements for the proposal to be considered for further evaluation. Proposals not meeting the mandatory criteria will be excluded from further consideration.

Mandatory Criteria

MT1 The Bidder’s proposed resource as the lead disentangler must be certified through the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies disentanglement program (Level 4 or 5) *. The Center is located in Provincetown, Massachusetts. (If not certified through Provincetown CCS, equivalent qualifications and training may be accepted).

MT2 The Bidder’s proposed resource as the lead disentangler must have a minimum of three (3) cumulative years of prior experience in providing incident response services for the disentanglement of large whales & mammals.

MT3 The Bidder’s proposed resource as the lead disentangler must have a minimum of three (3) cumulative years of prior experience working with large whale behaviour, species identification, and physiology.

MT4 The Bidder’s proposed resource as the lead disentagler must demonstrate proof of International Whaling Commission Certification.

MT5 The Bidder must provide an outline of the methodology and approach for responding to incidents with little to no notice, and have the resources allow a timely response (24 hours per day/7 days per week).

MT6 The Bidder must have a minimum of three (3) cumulative years of prior experience providing services in implementing and maintaining an incident response line as described in Annex A - Statement of Work.

MT7 The Bidder must provide evidence that they maintain a toll-free telephone number for the public and commercial fishers to utilize and report all of gear-entrapped, injured or stranded marine animals.

SELECTION METHOD

The basis of selection is Highest Compliant Combined Rating of Technical Merit and Price.

Enquiries regarding this RFP requirement are to be submitted in writing to the following:

Jennifer Beamish

Senior Contracting Officer

Materiel and Procurement Services

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

301 Bishop Drive

Fredericton (NB) E3C 2M6

Telephone :(506) 452-3800

Email : DFOtenders-soumissionsMPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca