Vessel Charter for Pacific Marine Mammal Survey

OBJECTIVE The Charter is being sought to provide DFO with one (1) vessel and accompanying crew to conduct a large coast-wide four (4) to six (6) consecutive-week dedicated systematic cetacean research survey in BC coastal waters (up to 200nm from land). The Survey Vessel must meet the general requirements, licenses and certifications, basic vessel requirements, accommodations, crew requirements, health and safety, and scientific activity requirements listed below. Survey operations will be directed by DFO on board the Survey Vessel and may also occur in US territorial waters (Washington and Alaska). The first leg of the survey would occur over a two (2) to three (3) week period. A crew change would ideally occur in Port Hardy or Prince Rupert, BC.  Each leg of the survey could travel up to 2500 nm. The Survey would start and end in starting at either DFO’s Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney BC or in Port Hardy, BC.  Definitive timing and locations will be determined after award of the contract.  The objectives of the surveys can only be met if the survey is conducted according to the specified protocol. Subsequently, any survey leg may be cancelled at any time by the Scientific Authority if s/he believes the objectives are being compromised. SCOPE OF WORK This dedicated systematic line-transect survey is in support of research estimating abundance and distribution of whale, dolphin, porpoise species in Pacific Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It is designed to cover all marine waters of BC. The survey will include running at constant speed along a pre-determined trackline seeking observations of cetaceans based on current protocols in use by DFO Pacific. Concurrently, if possible, the vessel may be towing an acoustic array aft of the Survey Vessel to allow for acoustic detections of cetaceans.  A stable, manoeuvrable vessel, with a suitable observation platform, capable of maintaining good and safe seakeeping abilities off the exposed coast of BC out to the EEZ, is needed to provide the precision and timing required to conduct this survey.  The duration of the survey is expected to be 30-45 consecutive days (broken up into two portions/legs), starting as early as the beginning of July until as late as the middle of September 2018. The date ranges span a longer time period than the duration of the survey to provide some scheduling flexibility. The actual start and end dates will be determined during pre-survey meetings. DFO will provide a cruise plan to the vessel no later than two weeks prior to the start of the survey detailing the protocols, planned route, daily itinerary, equipment to be loaded, any special dietary requirements, names of science crew, and sailing logistics such as dates, times, and locations for loading/offloading, departure, returning, offloading, and scientific crew changes. The survey will involve a half day of loading at the start of the survey and unloading at the end of the survey. One scheduled scientific crew change is planned. It is expected that the Survey Vessel will use the loading, unloading, and scheduled science crew change days as the only planned opportunities for re-fuelling, re-provisioning, and other maintenance requiring shore access.