June 16, 2017

Background Information

The Hawaii longline fishery, which is comprised of deep-set and shallow-set components, is managed under the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP). Through regulations promulgated under the FEP, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) monitors the Hawaii longline fishery through logbook and observer data. There are around 140 vessels operating in the fleet. The use of the video monitoring was first tested in the fleet in 2009/2010. In early 2017, NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) has installed 6 Hawaii longline vessels with video monitoring equipment as part of a larger initiative to phase-in more video monitoring systems within the fleet.

In coordination with NMFS PIFSC, the Council is seeking proposals from vendors to review approximately 35 longline trips with each trip comprising 15 sets with each set having ~12 hours of video collected from deployed EM systems.

Scope of Work

The selected contractor will provide the following services:

1. Receive HDDs containing data collected by EM systems installed on-board fishing vessels in the shallow and deep-set longline fisheries. Use established tracking protocols to track chain of custody.
2. Copy and archive all data on local NAS (Network Attached Server). Verify complete data transfer. Scrub data from HDDs, reformat and return HDDs to NOAA in HI.
3. De-encrypt and process data into readable data files.
4. Review system performance logs to check for any problems that might affect data collection. If problems are noted, communicate immediately with NOAA’s EM team for tech support.
5. Review trip sensor data using open source review software to verify trip data completeness. If problems are noted, communicate immediately with NOAA’s EM team for tech support.
6. Review trip video data using open source review software to verify correct camera placement for required image capture. If adjustments are required, communicate immediately with NOAA’s EM team for tech support.
7. Review trip video data using open source review software to validate review protocols and data collection template. Record all required data in the data collection template. If problems with fish handling or system care (e.g. keeping the cameras clean), document this in a vessel feedback form.
8. For observed trips where data is available, compare EM reviewer summary reports to observer summary reports. Prepare a summary report noting any variations between observer data and EM data. Recommend any changes to the data collection or review process.
9. Adjust review protocol and data collection template as needed to capture required data.
10. Provide a summary data report for each trip for NOAA.
11. Create a feedback report for each trip and provide to the appropriate vessel and NOAA.

Deadline for Proposals

All proposals shall be submitted by June 30, 2017. Proposals should be sent by email to Eric Kingma (eric.kingma@wpcouncil.org) or by fax (808 522-8226) or by mail: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, 1164 Bishop St., Ste. 1400, Honolulu, HI 96818. Proposals must contain the following three items: 1) project narrative, 2) budget, and 3) project timeline. Total pages for proposal shall not exceed 10 pages.

Background Information
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December 15, 2014 

Background Information  

Since the late 1990s, there has been a US longline fishery operating out of Pago Pago. In the early years, fishing was conducted mostly using small, double-hulled aluminum vessels. In the early 2001, several vessels over 50ft in length entered the fishery, with over 30 large vessels participating at one point. Currently, there are around 20 large active vessels operating in the fishery based out of Pago Pago.
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