Kitsumkalum Chinook Salmon Project

1. ADVANCED CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE (ACAN) An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

2. DEFINITION OF THE REQUIREMENT The contractor agrees to undertake the activities of project management, administration, Deep Creek Hatchery facility operations, maintenance, fish production, assessment, training and reporting within the scope of this project and as described below in this Statement of Work. 2.1 SCOPE

The Kitsumkalum River Chinook project produces Chinook salmon fry and yearlings marked with coded wire tags (CWTs) and adipose fin clips. The marked fish are released into the natural population. The project assesses the Chinook salmon returning to the Kitsumkalum River annually and estimates the hatchery (marked) and wild (unmarked) components of the return and the age structure of the population. An international Mark Recovery Program (MRP) samples fisheries for coded wire tagged fish in Canada and the United States. These data are essential to measure exploitation rates and for run reconstruction calculations.

The scope of the Kitsumkalum River Chinook project is broad with impacts ranging from local to international. The results from the escapement assessment program are measured against the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) data standards. The project contributes internationally as an exploitation rate indicator stock in the PSC Chinook model. Additionally the estimates from the Kitsumkalum project provide the basis for expansions to generate escapement estimates for Chinook populations in the Skeena River which is a PSC escapement indicator stock. Domestically the data contribute to Canada’s Key Stream Program and provide the only exploitation rate indicator stock for Chinook salmon in the North Coast. Locally the project provides stock assessment information to managers and assistance to the Salmonids in the Classroom program with provision of embryos and opportunities for field trips.

The project is included in Science Stock Assessment Division (StAD) planning processes as well as the Salmonid Enhancement Program’s (SEP) production planning. The project follows the Community Involvement Program Best Management Practices to meet fish health management obligations under the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations. The data produced are consistent with those required for MRP, StAD and SEP salmon escapement estimation and sampling requirements for Chinook CWT indicator stocks. The data contribute to domestic and international databases.

Please see ACAN document for full Statement of Work

3. CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES (MINIMUM ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS)

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

Experience

Minimum of five years of experience in

- Project management and administration in a fishery hatchery environment - Hiring, training, and supervision of seasonal staff (including occupational health and safety training) - Hatchery facility operations in accordance with the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations License to Conduct Salmonid Enhancement Activities and hatchery maintenance - Field program delivery in a river environment (jet boat operation, tangle netting, fish handling, marking, live release) - Fish production and coded wire tagging, including collection of brood stock, egg fertilization, rearing, fish health and disease screening and prevention, fin clipping, and release - Program reporting and data collection, including collection, data management, and basic statistics Knowledge and understanding of and proven ability to perform:

- Project management and administration in a fishery hatchery environment - Hatchery facility operations in accordance with the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations License to Conduct Salmonid Enhancement Activities - Fish production including broodstock collection, fish culture ensuring fish health and survival, and coded wire tagging - Hatchery facility and equipment maintenance and improvements, including operation of all types of hatchery equipment including incubation systems and equipment such as valves, generators, pumps, flow and temperature monitoring equipment, water intakes, shop tools, chain saws, brush cutters, lawn mowers, and other equipment - Salmon escapement assessment via mark-recapture program to generate sex-specific estimates and age composition of the return - Working knowledge of the Kitsumkalum River, including navigation at different flow levels, natural hazards, and fishing locations - Safe tangle netting, jet boat operation, live fish handling, collection of biodata (scales, tissue, length) and marking Chinook salmon up to 60 lb in weight in a river environment - Swiftwater rescue - Walking on treacherous terrain in and out of water when performing duties - Microsoft Word and Excel for reporting and data entry and management and statistics - Basic statistical knowledge; ability to generate Lincoln Petersen estimate, regressions and other data QAQC in Microsoft Excel

Supplier must provide the following equipment for use in the program

- jet boat, truck with ability to tow, wheeled bucket loader

Academic qualifications

- Must possess an undergraduate degree from a recognized university in the field of biology, environmental science or similar and/or college diploma in fish and wildlife, aquaculture or similar;

Refer to ACAN document for complete definition of the requirement.