Description
NORTHEAST DISTANT FISHING ZONE PELAGIC LONGLINE FISHING EXPERIMENT LOCATED AT NOAA/NMFS/SFIThe proposal is extended to May 22, 2002. All proposal must be submitted to the Contracts Office listed above to the attention of Janet Hannah. Amend FAR Clause dates to read: 52.512-4 (FEB 2002) and 52.212-5 (DEC 2001). Amend... Life raft capacity for all occupants is mandatory. 1. Can our organization coordinate the offers of our members as far as price and technical approach prior to each member sending in an individual offer? Are group bids acceptable? Answer: No. This is a Solicitation for individual offers. It is neither a purchase order, nor a sole source contract. Collusion in bidding on Government contracts is illegal. One must keep this fact in mind for all agent client interactions. In fact, each offer must be accompanied by a Certificate of Independent Price Determination stating that you have not conferred with any other offeror in establishing your price. Bids will be accepted from vessel owners for single vessels or from vessel associations. Vessel association offers will be treated as an individual offer coming from that association and not from the individual vessels it represents. If that association cannot meet all the criteria of this Solicitation, each vessel included in that offer will be ineligible for an award. 2. What is the status of plans for the Atlantic Sea Turtle Survivability/Mortality Study? Answer: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) research plan for this study is being documented and will be made available in calendar year 2002. This study will be conducted separately from the experimental design for this Solicitation. 3. Are hook timers available for the 2002 research program? Answer: No. They are not part of the experimental design for this solicitation. 4. Is the sea turtle take from the ESA Section 10 Permit being used to conduct any other research? Answer: No. 5. Is the Solicitation a draft document, and is the deadline subject to change? Answer: No, this is not a draft solicitation. The proposal submission date is extended to May 22, 2002. 6. Please provide information concerning Federal Acquisition Regulations. Answer: See website www.arnet.gov. 7. What is fixed guarantee Basis? Answer: You bid on a fixed unit, in this case each set of 900 hooks. If you are in complete compliance with all specifications in doing so, you are guaranteed the price stated in your contract for each set successfully completed.(see item below) The 900 hook set is a compensation unit only and the technical issue is explained below. 8. Can individual vessels vary from the 900 hook set? Answer: Yes, the 900 hook set is a technical goal and pricing guide. Individual vessels must meet all safety guidelines in determining the actual number of hooks in each set. 9. Please explain what each of the contract references and provisions mean and what is required to adequately respond to this solicitation. What exactly is an Offeror supposed to submit? Answer: Submit a Statement of Work, that complies with all specifications in; the Solicitation, the Proposed Experimental Design and Specifications, and the referenced FAR Sections. State exactly what you will do, how you intend to comply and conduct the proposed research effort. Attach all documentation as necessary to support your contention, and all documents required by the Federal Acquisition Regulations. Questions regrading the Experimental Design and Specifications 10. Please clarify Vessels must make at least two trips, fishing 33 experimental sets with a minimum number of 900 hooks, following the specified research protocol. Answer: Compensation will be on a fixed guarantee basis for each virtual set of 900 hooks, and will be provided through the invoice process at the completion of each trip. Each contractor agrees to attempt to complete 33 virtual sets throughout the season. 11. How will a vessel be compensated if it only completes one trip then encounters a major breakdown and/or other crisis? Answer: This will be considered on a case by case basis. A consideration will be made for work successfully completed. 12. Are all vessel operators required to initialize haul back with an end-haul target goal of 10:00 am? Answer: No. The research design assumes a distribution of haul-back times within the target window of 10 am to 1 pm. 13. Can foreign vessels apply for this contract? Answer: Vessels registered in any North American Free Trade Agreement country may apply; this includes Canada, Mexico, and the United States. 14. Will the Exempted Fishing Permit also cover other research sampling that Government sponsored scientists have requested? Answer: No, each scientist must request an Exempted Fishing Permit from the NMFS for his or her own research interests. 15. Will the Government designate specific ports for the acquisition? Answer: Yes, the Government intends to limit the number of ports. The locations will be selected based on the operating ports of successful offerors. 16. Will there be flexibility in the workshop date? Answer: Yes, the workshop will be held at a central location and the date will be determined as soon as possible. The Government will work with the contractors to avoid economic hardship. 17. Is the vessel required to provide the infrastructure for the satellite phone? Answer: Yes, the Observer will provide a satellite phone, and the vessel will provide power, access to appropriate location for transmittal, safe storage, etc. The Vessel Operator is responsible to insure that all communication is working prior to departure. 18. Who has the responsibility for handling the turtles? Answer: Observers have the authority, the Vessel Operator has the responsibility. The Workshop will contain discussions on this topic so that everyone understands their role in conducting the necessary operations for a successful experiment. 19. What is the Termination for Convenience clause? Answer: The Contracting Officer, by written notice, may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, when it is in the Government's interest. If the contract is terminated, the rights, duties, and obligations of the parties, including compensation to the Contractor, shall be in accordance with Part 49 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation in effect on the date of this contract. 20. Are draft daily observer reports available to the contractor? Answer: No, but the final observer reports for each trip will be made available. This final report is the only official record of each trip. 21. Is carrying sufficient bait to make at least 15 sets per trip rather than 20 acceptable? Answer: Yes, a minimum of bait for 15 sets is acceptable. 22. Is the requirement of a minimum of one head and one shower shall be available mandatory? Answer: Yes. 23. Will the Government provide a complete checklist of equipment necessary for this contract? Answer: Yes, a checklist will be presented at the workshop. 24. Is the Vessel Operator solely responsible for all vessel operations; including safety, navigation, fishing, mechanics and response to weather, as well as all other factors outside the research protocol? Answer: Yes, as long as all actions do not conflict with the experimental design. 25. What is the function of the Trip Summary Report? Answer: The Report is required to provide the Government with information needed to assess the feasibility of regulatory changes designed to reduce turtle interactions. It is to the benefit of fishery participants that new regulations be designed so as to minimize negative impacts. 26. Can the minimum layover in port of up to six days be changed to a maximum goal of three days? Answer: No, individual circumstances dictate that the Government have as much flexibility as possible. NMFS will work with the individual Captains to make as quick a layover as possible. Six days is not a hard minimum, it up to 6 days. 27. Can the Vessel Operator designate an observer liaison? Answer: Yes, but the Vessel Operator is ultimately responsible for meeting the requirements in the contract. 28. Must the vessel have a current Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Examination decal? Answer: Yes, all National and State/Province safety examinations must be current. 29. Will NMFS consider the contract period of performance past 33 sets if the Section 10 takes have not been exhausted? Answer: Perhaps, but no additional Government funding or legal liability will be incurred. 30. Will the Government consider extenuating circumstances should excessive catch situations arise? Answer: Yes, on a case by case basis, but no advance changes will be authorized. 31. Is the Government prepared to dictate exact fishing procedure required to fish successfully and reduce turtle take and mortality? Answer: The Government goal is to minimize the take of sea turtles, at the same time minimizing the impacts upon the fishing community. In order to accommodate this goal, active and intelligent participation of individual Vessel Operators is required to insure that a set of best practices can be developed. The Government cares about the result. The methodology is open to flexible development. 32. Is the vessel required to provide email, satellite phone (SAT PHONE) and radio capabilities? Answer: Yes, the observer is required to report at least once every 24 hours once fishing begins. Each vessel is required to provide the observer access to working email communications hardware and software with capabilities to send and receive messages to the Government. Observers will provide a SAT PHONE, and the vessel will provide power for SAT PHONE maintenance, access to appropriate location for transmittal, safe storage, etc. The SAT PHONE will be for government use only. The vessel's single side band radio will be made accessible to the observer as necessary. All three communication requirements are to be in working order prior to departure from port. Vessel Operators will aid in relaying messages to and from other contractors in the event of communications problems with any one vessel.