In November 2011, Defra appointed Cefas as R&D Programme Manager for the collection of additional evidence to support MCZ designation. Following the successful acquisition of evidence in the previous two years, a further evidence collection programme is planned for the remainder of the current financial year.
Through this Invitation to tender Cefas is seeking bids for the following types of work:
-Hydrographic survey operations
– Acoustic surveys (multi-beam bathymetry);
– Provision of Client representing services;
– Provision of onshore and offshore FLO (Fisheries Liaison) services.
Each tender submission shall be for only one of the above purposes (e.g. hydrographic survey operations). As part of the implementation by HM Government of the Marine and Coastal Access Act, a network of conservation sites, intended to conserve or improve the UK marine environment, is being created in the British seas.
The network will comprise European Marine Sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Ramsar sites and Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). Through Defra, four regional MCZ projects have produced recommendations for proposed sites for MCZs.
To ensure that the supporting evidence base is sufficient for designation of the network, additional evidence will be collected from a number of pre-defined rMCZs.
Cefas, as an executive agency of Defra, will act as R&D Programme Managers for this work. Cefas’ main responsibilities will be to co-ordinate the collection of scientifically robust and cost-effective evidence from within a selection of rMCZs during the remainder of FY 2013/14 and to manage the delivery of the resulting survey/data outputs.
Cefas will work in close consultation with Defra, Natural England, JNCC and the Environment Agency. It is proposed that this acoustic survey programme will be carried out during February and March 2014 by a range of service providers from both public and private sectors.
Tenderers should note that Cefas intends to have survey kick-off meetings with contractors and client representatives on 23/24 January 2014, with surveys commencing during early February. As with previous years, all survey operations must complete by 31/3/2014
The deadline for submission of electronic copies is January 06, 2014, and for paper copies January 07, 2014.
Subsea World News Staff, December 13, 2013