Description
NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE A SINGLE-SOURCE CONTRACT Special Notice: FD-2022-278 NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC In compliance with FAR Subpart 13 coupled with the provisions set forth by FAR Subpart 5.101(a)(1), this Notice is hereby published to inform of the following: The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Hector Jose Ruiz Torre of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico. Using the procedures of FAR Part 13 the requirement is to procure the following: The scientific and technical consulting contractor shall hire and provide vessels, captains, observers, and observer training that meet the specifications outlined in the SOW to NOAA fisheries. The vessels will be used in performing deployment and retrieval of standard fishing gear to collect biological samples from commercially important reef fishes, including, but not limited to, snappers, groupers, grunts, and wrasses in waters surrounding Puerto Rico. As an overall guide, the life history project will utilize fisher, observer, and contractor expert opinion to determine initial sampling locations and fishing gears in collaboration with SEFSC scientists. As more data are collected and analyzed, those data will be used to further inform the survey design in collaboration with SEFSC scientists.The applicable Size Standard is North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code4 83114 with a Small business size standard of 500 The NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) is seeking to improve scientific information for the management of fisheries in Puerto Rico to ensure their cultural, economic, and ecological sustainability. Implementing annual catch limits (ACLs) is hindered by the lack of adequate biological information and catch monitoring in these small-scale, multi-species, multi-gear fisheries that therefore require complex methods and indices to assess. Since the 2007 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), shortcomings in the Caribbean stock assessments have become apparent. This region has more managed species than continental US fisheries and insufficient support for monitoring has led to high uncertainty about landings. There is a lack of biological information and fishery independent data for these stocks. These limits on the scientific information to support accurate and timely resource management decisions, threatens the economic and cultural vitality of these communities as well as the sustainability of the territorial fisheries. If these stocks are to be managed with confidence, as mandated by MSA, NOAA must make this focused investment in territorial fisheries science. Without this investment, NOAA will continue to lack the scientific information needed to meet its regulatory mandates under MSA and ESA, diminishing its reputation among stakeholders and its ability to manage stocks, continuing uncertainty and unnecessary economic burdens on Commonwealth communities. Stock status of many Commonwealth fisheries populations will remain unknown, potentially leading to overfishing and closures, as well as possible ESA petitions and listings. Commonwealth communities, particularly those dependent on subsistence fishing, may experience the loss of vital marine resources with severe economic and cultural consequences. The Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) Miami laboratory was recently awarded funding through the Cooperative Research Program (CRP) to complete a project utilizing a working relationship with commercial fishers to use low cost methods to gain information regarding life history of commercially important species in Puerto Rico. This project will leverage the support of an existing CRP Spiny Lobster project that was built upon an initiative developed by the commercial fishers of Puerto Rico. The lobster CRP has built working relationships with commercial fishers to provide vessels for sampling operations and the proposed study will utilize that network to facilitate sample collection. This project will utilize a scientific and technical consulting service to coordinate, obtain, and pay for the services of three to six separate commercial fishing vessels to conduct fieldwork in Puerto Rico. Fishing vessels with onboard observers will deploy standard fishing gear to collect essential life history information, which is vital for stock assessments, of commercially fished and federally regulated reef fishes, such as snappers, groupers, grunts, and wrasses. **THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE. Attachments Single Source Determination