The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to prepare a Discussion Document that summarizes all scientific research and other relevant information about offshore spawning of Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus. Letters of interest and supporting materials must be received by April 22, 2019.
WHAT’S INVOLVED: The successful candidate’s role will be to serve as the primary author of the Discussion Document and then present the document to pertinent Council committees. The contractor will work under the supervision of Council staff. More specifically, the contractor will:
- Summarize the status of Atlantic herring, including historical and updated research about spawning activity;
- Provide maps showing historical and current spawning locations and herring egg beds to the extent that information is available;
- Summarize all fishery data – both direct and incidental – that could have relevant information about the location, season, condition, or trends in Atlantic herring spawning activity;
- Review the draft Discussion Document with the Council’s Herring Plan Development Team and incorporate input during the summer of 2019;
- Subsequently present the Discussion Document to the Council’s Herring Committee, likely in September 2019; and
- Finalize the Discussion Document in October 2019 following the full Council’s review in late September.
FOCUS OF REVIEW: At a minimum, the Discussion Document should contain the following updated information:
- Results from recent stock assessments prepared by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and other indicators of spawning trends and activity;
- A review of historical and current research collected on spawning of Atlantic herring;
- A description of potential impacts of fishing on spawning of Atlantic herring, which may include a summary of data from observers and other sources such as portside sampling;
- A review of measures in place in other fisheries for spawning protection of herring;
- A summary of other sources of mortality and risks for successful spawning of Atlantic herring; and
- Recent management actions by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that may have impacts on spawning of Georges Bank Atlantic herring.
TIMELINE: The contractor’s role is a short-term, temporary position that will begin on or about May 1, 2019 and end when the Council reviews the Discussion Document, tentatively in September 2019, followed by completion of a finalized document in October 2019.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING: The Council intends to use this document to support future deliberations about potential management measures that may be considered to minimize impacts on spawning of Atlantic herring on Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals.
APPLICATION DETAILS: Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, current resume or curriculum vitae, examples of similar work completed for other organizations or publications, and a budget with expected expenses no later than April 22, 2019.
- A list of desired experience and demonstrated skills can be found in the solicitation notice.
- Additional information and application mailing/email addresses are contained in the full solicitation notice, which can be accessed at the link above and here.
- NOTE: Candidates employed by advocacy organizations or by organizations that are parties in fishery lawsuits will not be considered.
QUESTIONS: For more information, contact New England Fishery Management Council Executive Director Tom Nies at (978) 465-0492 ext. 113, tnies@nefmc.org or Herring Plan Coordinator Deirdre Boelke at (978) 465-0492 ext. 105, dboelke@nefmc.org.