The New England Fishery Management Council is looking for an independent contractor to assist with planning and convening a national workshop and preparing the workshop proceedings.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: The application deadline is 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 11, 2024. This is a temporary contractor role, commencing on or about March 18, 2024. Work is expected to be completed by December 31, 2024.
WHAT IS THIS WORKSHOP ABOUT: The Scientific Coordination Subcommittee (SCS) of the Council Coordination Committee is convening its 8th workshop, known as “SCS8.” The workshop is being organized by a steering committee that includes Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) members and staff from each of the eight U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries. The workshop theme is: Applying ABC control rules in a changing environment.
WHEN AND WHERE: The New England Council is hosting this three-day public workshop August 26-28, 2024 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, MA. About 70 people are expected to attend in person with additional participation through a listen-only webinar option.
WHAT IS THE CONTRACTOR’S ROLE: The contractor will: (1) assist with planning all phases of the workshop; (2) convene and attend the workshop in August 2024; and (3) draft a workshop proceedings report. The contractor will work closely with Dr. Rachel Feeney, coordinator of the New England Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee. Work will be conducted in collaboration with SSC Chair Dr. Lisa Kerr and Council staff.
- Further details about the contractor’s responsibilities under the three distinct phases of this work are outlined in the request for proposals.
DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND DEMONSTRATED SKILLS: The Council is seeking applicants with, among other skills:
- Demonstrated experience in event planning or meeting convening with the ability to manage logistics for conferences or meetings with over 20 attendees;
- Strong writing and speaking skills;
- A demonstrated ability to summarize complex topics and recommendations in clear, easily read documents;
- Familiarity with the use of scientific information in the fishery management process; and
- A general knowledge and understanding of federal fisheries management, stock assessment, and catch advice recommendations (preferred but not required).
WHY IS THE WORKSHOP THEME ABOUT ABC CONTROL RULES: The SCS8 theme is of interest to all eight U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils, SSCs, and NOAA Fisheries. It’s an appropriate follow-up to the 7th SCS workshop on Adapting Fisheries Management to a Changing Ecosystem.
A core function of each Council’s SSC is to provide recommendations for setting acceptable biological catch (ABC) consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the ABC control rules established in fishery management plans. Applying ABC control rules in a manner that consistently achieves management goals has become increasingly difficult as climate change has influenced rapidly changing environments.
The SCS8 workshop will focus on exploring strategies to adapt ABC control rules given the highly variable and changing dynamics of climate, recruitment, and productivity.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, current resume or CV for all members who will work under the contract, and a proposed budget for this work.
Letters of interest and supporting materials should be addressed to Executive Director Cate O’Keefe, NEFMC, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. Email submissions should be sent to cokeefe@nefmc.org. Questions concerning this proposal should be directed to the same email address.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: All application materials must be received no later than 8:00 a.m. on March 11, 2024. Additional details are described in the request for proposals.