CEFAS23-132 RFQ for ALDFG & EOLFG Scoping Study in the Maldives, under OCPP

The OCPP was announced in 2021 as a key bilateral aid programme under the £500m Blue Planet Fund.

The OCPP is a UK Government-led programme delivered under the Blue Planet Fund. Through this programme, Cefas, in partnership with JNCC and MMO, provide technical assistance to support countries in tackling marine pollution, support sustainable seafood practices, and establish designated, well-managed and enforced Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Cefas requires the successful Tenderer to organise a scoping study to assess the feasibility of conducting a comprehensive baseline assessment of Abandoned, Lost and Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) and end-of-life fishing gear (EOLFG) throughout the archipelago of Maldives.

The successful Tenderer will be required to review the conditions that directly and indirectly affect ALDFG within coastal waters; offshore waters within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); and those beyond it (BEEZ). The assessment will involve detailing the nature of fisheries in the Maldives, including the fishing activities, gear type, scale (number of vessels) and geographical distribution; as well as highlighting other geographically/monsoon relevant features affecting the impact of ALDFG within the country. The proposed methodology should provide statistically representative data. The work will therefore provide the context for quantifying and mapping the national baseline of ALDFG. The baseline should include 'hot spot' analysis of where ALDFG events occur. The hotspot analysis will identify locations in Maldives where ALDFG collects, these collections are known as 'hotspots'. When hotspots are identified detail should be provided on the location, the date of the event and the mass of ALDFG present.

The successful Tenderer will facilitate a process of stakeholder engagement with key informants as well as gathering support from key government representatives such as the Ministry of Fisheries &/or Ministry of Environment.

It is expected therefore that the Tenderer will have a good understanding of fisheries and waste issues and their governance in the Maldives and will be able to propose a process of stakeholder engagement that will support the delivery of the feasibility study, and how such a study will fit with Ministry of Fisheries &/or Ministry of Environment objectives.

Download the Bidder Pack at https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome and search for CEFAS23-132 under opportunities.