January 17, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to prepare visually rich and understandable materials for distribution and presentation during public information workshops about Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM). Letters of interest and supporting materials must be received by February 14, 2020.
DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS: In addition to strong writing, presentation, and communication skills, applicants should have a general understanding of fisheries and fishery management in New England, including on Georges Bank, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Applicants also should: (1) be familiar with the use of scientific information in the fishery management process and the concept of EBFM; and (2) have experience interacting with fishery managers, scientists, and stakeholders.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING: The Council has been working on an EBFM conceptual approach for several years, and it developed an example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP) that shows how EBFM might be carried out on Georges Bank. The Council is now ready to take the next step and more fully engage the public in its work. It intends to begin this process by conducting public information workshops and utilizing outreach materials that clearly explain EBFM on multiple levels. The Council will be communicating with fishermen, conservation groups, the research community, and many other stakeholders through the workshops as it continues to advance EBFM.
WHAT’S INVOLVED: To assist the Council with this undertaking, the contractor will:
- Research and prepare outreach materials and then work with Council staff to present the related products to the EBFM Plan Development Team (PDT), the EBFM Committee, and the Council. The contractor is not expected to present the materials at future workshops or assist with the final design of materials published on paper and/or online;
- Develop products that are suitable for a variety of stakeholders who have varying ranges of knowledge about EBFM and fishery management; and
- Consider multiple formats for visually rich materials, which may include documents, pamphlets, videos, PowerPoint presentations, news releases, and other options.
The contractor will meet with the PDT and Committee (independently or jointly) for one or two meetings to understand the EBFM framework in the eFEP, ask questions, and receive feedback and guidance. The contractor also will discuss progress on a weekly basis with Council staff.
TIMELINE: The contractor’s role is a short-term, temporary position that will begin on or about February 15, 2020 and end when the Council approves outreach materials, which is expected to happen during the Council’s June 23-25, 2020 meeting in Freeport, ME. Therefore, final draft materials are due by June 10, 2020. Following the June Council meeting, the contractor may need to make necessary changes and provide final revised materials by July 25, 2020.
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 February 14, 2020.
- A complete list of desired experience and demonstrated skills can be found in the solicitation announcement, along with application mailing/email addresses and other information.
- NOTE: Candidates employed by advocacy organizations or by organizations that are parties in fishery lawsuits will not be considered.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Interested candidates may want to review:
- The Council’s Draft Example Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Georges Bank, which is available at eFEP;
- The EBFM Plan Development Team’s worked example for 10 fish stocks on Georges Bank;
- The EBFM Outreach Project Background Document; and
- The New England Council’s EBFM webpage and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for Georges Bank eFEP webpage.
QUESTIONS: For more information, contact: (1) New England Fishery Management Council Senior Fishery Analyst Andrew Applegate at (978) 465-0492 ext. 114, aapplegate@nefmc.org for technical questions; and (2) Administrative Officer Margaret Bernier, (978) 465-0492 ext. 104,mbernier@nefmc.org regardi