Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Defra Network eTendering Portal
Horizon House
Bristol
BS1 5AH
Contact
Mrs Alison Dyson
al.dyson@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 2030254032
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
Environment
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
UK Cetacean Bycatch Observation Scheme – Assessment of Bycatch of Protected Species in UK Fisheries
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 90700000 - Environmental services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The contract provides estimates of the accidental catches in UK fisheries. This is certain key groups of protected species, which by monitoring a selected sample of fishing operations and by analysis of fleet behaviour, can provide an understanding of the conservation threat posed by fisheries to these groups. The project focuses mainly on marine mammals, birds and sharks. The main object of the contract is to generate annual bycatch estimates for the marine mammal species recorded and to provide at least summary indicators of the scale of seabird and shark bycatch in the fisheries observed. The project produces annual reports at the end of every April (every year) tabulating fishing effort by key fishery and by region. This summarises the bycatch observations and associated estimates of protected species in each yearly bycatch.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £1,093,938.22
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Contractor will: undertake monitoring for 318 days on a range of fishing vessel types, the proportional composition of which will initially follow existing targets already established but which will be modified as appropriate in consultation with Defra and the PSG if and as changing policy objectives suggest refocusing observational effort in a different way. Sampling will continue to follow targets previously agreed to address requirements of Council Regulations 812/2004, 2019/1241 and Council Directive 92/43/EEC, but as UK has now left the EU, policy objectives are likely to change, so monitoring targets will be flexible such as monitoring can be refocused as deemed necessary over the life of the contract and beyond. Data collection will be added to customized statistical models developed to explore trends in bycatch rates for key species and in key fisheries, to look for geographical or other relevant patterns and to generate total bycatch estimates for common dolphins, harbour porpoises and grey seals in the annual reports for 2021 and 2022 and if data are sufficient for other protected species. Analysis uses General Additive Model (AGM) and ten of more fishery associated co-variates. Annual reports will be published by combining the results of observations during the year, combined as appropriate with data from previous years, with derived data on fishing effort from the iFish database and using GAM’s, which is the same approach which has been used annually since 2006.
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
The contract started on the 14/04/2017 and ran for an initial term, ending on 30/06/2019. It was extended for three, further 12-month increments, ending on 30/06/2021. The Authority is now extending the contract for a further 10-month period (30/06/2021 – 30/04/2022) in order to run a procurement exercise, re-tendering this requirement and ensuring a new contract is in place prior to the end of the extension deadline date. Increasingly consumers and retailers are demanding that high standards of environmental protection apply in food production; this project aims to provide consumers and retailers with confidence that fisheries are not inadvertently compromising the conservation status of protected or vulnerable species, identifying fishery practices where mitigation measures are required to protect vulnerable species.
All fisheries have a certain degree of unwanted and unintended catch (bycatch), some of which may involve protected or sensitive species whose population status might be compromised if bycatch rates are too high. Such species are typically not commercial and therefore cannot be landed. It is necessary therefore to monitor bycatch during actual fishing operations across a wide range of gears/fisheries to estimate bycatch rates, in order to examine the cumulative impact across fisheries and where necessary, identify specific fisheries and areas where measures to reduce accidental bycatch rates might be needed.
Data is currently captured and recorded quarterly with an annual report being published every April. However, there have recently been changes in legislation and due to this we are now considering objectives and requirements that better fulfil policy needs, filling gaps in existing evidence and developing more effective policies as a result. We are looking to expand the monitoring programme to include a wider range of species (including seabirds and water birds), laying different monitoring processes to increase data collection. We also wish to review and consider the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s (JNCC) recently released interim report, to ensure any additional factors are also captured within our specification. Future budget spend is unclear and therefor whether focus will stay predominantly within UK waters or also include international waters. Hence the extension will give the Authority time to take stock of its requirement, allowing sufficient time for a Tendering process via Find a Tender Service (FTS). The additional variation will be issued on the grounds of PCR 2015 Clause 72 (1) (e) which permits modifications without the need for a new procurement.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
ecm_49790
Title
UK Cetacean Bycatch Observation Scheme – Assessment of Bycatch of Protected Species in UK Fisheries
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
14 April 2017
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
University of St Andrews
College Gate,
St Andrews, Fife
KY16 9AJ
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1,093,938.22
five.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The Courts of England and Wales
London
Country
United Kingdom