Ocober 2021

Interested consultants can submit proposals for one or both reports.

Aim of the consultancy: Deliver technical reports on the status and management of a) the most over-exploited stocks and b) forage fish stocks in NE Atlantic waters.

Duration and deadlines: two months, from November 1^st to December 31^st, 2021. Delivery of the report by no later than December 31^st.

Price: Oceana will consider all offers with detailed workplan and cost associated. In case you are interested in both reports, please include your estimated fee for each report in your proposal. Estimated fee/s should include all costs associated with the service (taxes excluded).

Submission of proposals: deadline for submitting consultancy proposals is October 22^nd, 2021.

Contact person: Javier López jlopez@oceana.org.

ABOUT OCEANA

Oceana is an international advocacy organisation focused entirely on ocean conservation. Since its founding in 2001, Oceana seeks to make our oceans more biodiverse and abundant by winning policy victories in the countries that govern much of the world’s marine life. Oceana has offices around the world including four offices in Europe, which are based in Madrid, Brussels, Copenhagen, and London. For more information about Oceana in Europe visit www.europe.oceana.org.

1. BACKGROUND OF THE CONSULTANCY
   1. Most over-exploited stocks.

European countries have committed through different international agreements and domestic regulations to exploit fish resources at sustainable levels. However, despite the progress made during recent decades towards this goal, European countries have failed to reach the 2020 deadline to maintain and/or restore populations of harvested species above biomass levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield. Furthermore, some fish stocks persist in a dire situation, while the conservation and exploitation status of many others remain unknown.

Recent data published in 2021 by ICES highlights the ongoing depleted status of several key fish stocks in the NE Atlantic, many of which are jointly managed by different parties, mainly by the EU and the UK. Examples of these critically depleted stocks include West of Scotland cod, Celtic Sea cod, North Sea cod, West of Scotland and West of Ireland herring, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, and southwest of Ireland herring, and Irish Sea whiting, among others. For most of these stocks, the ICES advice is a strong reduction in catches, or even zero catch.

Limited effort has been made by all parties involved in the management and exploitation of these stocks to apply effective management and recovery measures. Particularly, in the case of mixed fisheries adopted management measures for these stocks are driven by the aim of allowing the continuation of the fishing activity rather than prioritizing the effective recovery of the overexploited populations.

The UK´s departure from the EU could represent a chance to break the status quo management for these stocks, as the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides an opportunity to agree on multi-year strategies and/or to develop the guidelines for setting the TACs of “special stocks” (e.g., stocks where the ICES advice is for a zero TAC and vulnerable stocks caught in a mixed fishery).

Depleted stocks are a public resource and recovering them is not only a necessity to contribute to a healthy resilient marine ecosystem, but it will also provide long-term benefits to dependent coastal communities. With climate change also likely to be affecting the resilience of some fish populations, effective efforts to recover these stocks are needed more urgently than ever.

1.2 Forage fish stocks.

Forage fish species play an important role in the marine ecosystem throughout the food web, so their abundance and productivity are critical to support marine wildlife such as marine mammals, seabirds and other commercial fish species.

Abundance of forage fish populations tends to fluctuate significantly. Many of these fluctuations are caused by natural factors, such as changes in environmental conditions, but also by fishing. Fishing has probably increased the abundance variability due to decreased stock sizes that make them less resilient to changes in environmental conditions, climate change included. Adequate management action could help to maintain healthy forage fish populations and their role in the ecosystem.

This critical role implies that there is a need to manage forage species more conservatively than current management objectives, that look primarily for the maximization of yield (e.g., MSY), to ensure healthy marine ecosystems.

Most current management frameworks and international agreement emphasize the need to implement the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, however little progress has been made so far in this regard. Considering the availability of forage fish to provide a source of food to other marine wildlife as a primary management principle would contribute to the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach.

Fishery decision-makers need to manage important prey species to provide adequate forage for all components of the ecosystem. They should take this approach into account when establishing annual catch limits and other management measures, by precautionary maintaining abundance of forage species at levels higher than the conventional standards.

2. PURPOSE AND AIM OF THE CONSULTANCY

Oceana wishes to commission two comprehensive technical reports to gather evidence in support of our advocacy work during 2022. The findings of the reports would be used to advocate for a shift in the management approach of these populations by decision-makers.

The main aim of the referred reports is to provide, but not limited to:

2.1 Most over-exploited stocks.

• A detailed overview of the status and exploitation of the most over-exploited stocks.
• An analysis of the current management measures for these stocks.
• Recommendations for the recovery and sustainable exploitation of these stocks.
• Outline of the content of a multi-year strategy for the management of these stocks.

2.2 Forage fish stocks.

• A better understanding of the role and importance of forage fish in the marine ecosystem.
• A detailed overview of the status, exploitation and threats to forage fish stocks.
• An analysis of the current management measures for these stocks.
• An analysis of the economic value of these stocks and commercial use of their catches.
• Recommendations and management principles for the conservation and exploitation of these stocks.

The main target audience of the findings of the reports are EU and UK decision makers, although the report findings will be also distributed to NGOs, fishing industry representatives, as well as shared with journalists. The content of the reports would be used to prepare policy briefings, infographics, social media posts and other communication products.  

3. DELIVERABLES

To meet the objectives described above, Oceana requires THE CONSULTANT to develop and deliver comprehensive technical report/s by means of compiling and analysing the most relevant and recent available data.  THE CONSULTANT is required to deliver summary reports, synthesizing the main findings and conclusions, together with the spreadsheets and/or other files used for the elaboration of the consultancy work.

3.1 The report on the worst performing NE Atlantic stocks should contain:

• A listing of all the depleted NE Atlantic stocks. For this report depleted stocks are those which Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) is below safe biological limits (Blim) or precautionary limits (Bpa). 
• Identification of the 10 worst performing stocks. If possible, the selected group of stocks would represent different sea basins (North Sea, West of Scotland, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, English Channel, Bay of Biscay and Iberian waters) and ecological typology (pelagic, demersal and benthic). 
• A detail overview of the status and exploitation, landings trends included, of the worst performing stocks.
• Information about the fleets targeting and/or catching the worst performing stocks (e.g., number of vessels, fishing gears, countries quota-shares…).
• Management of the worst performing stocks. Information about the regulatory framework in place for the management of these stocks, from management objectives to specific management measures to control the exploitation rate and pattern (framework regulations, multiannual plans, catch limits, effort restrictions, technical measures…).
• A detail analysis of the reasons, mixed fisheries considerations included, that would explain the status of the stocks.
• Specific regulatory, management, technical and/or emergency measures to be adopted to recover and sustainably exploit these stocks. Mixed fisheries considerations for the management of the worst performing stocks when applicable.
• Outline of the content of a multi-year strategy for the management of these stocks.

3.2 The report on the NE Atlantic forage fish stocks should contain:

• Role and importance of forage fish in the marine ecosystem based on scientific literature.

• A listing of the forage fish species in NE Atlantic waters
• A detail overview of the status and exploitation, landings trends included, of the of the main forage fish stocks managed through catch limits (selected stocks).
• Key predators on the selected stocks.
• Management of the selected stocks. Information about the regulatory framework in place for the management of these stocks, from management objectives to specific management measures to control the exploitation rate and pattern (framework regulations, multiannual plans, catch limits, effort restrictions, technical measures…).
• A detail analysis of the reasons that would explain the status of the selected stocks if depleted.
• Information about the fleets targeting the selected stocks (e.g., number of vessels, fishing gears, countries quota-shares…).
• Socio-economic indicators of the exploitation of the forage fish stocks and commercial use of their landings.
• Proposal of a group of specific regulatory, management, technical measures to implement the ecosystem-based approach and ensuring adequate conservation of the selected forage fish for marine ecosystems.

While the information above is expected to be delivered by THE CONSULTANT, Oceana is open for comments and suggestions from THE CONSULTANT to improve the content of the report and make it more in line with the aim of it. The agreement on the final audit structure and content will be set in a specific meeting at the beginning of the assignment.

The report should be based mostly on official data and scientifically per reviewed publications (e.g. scientific journals, ICES, STECF, MMO, Eurostat…), and all information should be properly referenced. However, THE CONSULTANT is also encouraged to use non-official sources, like NGO sources.

Oceana greatly values presenting the information above in a visually appealing way, therefore THE CONSULTANT is encouraged to illustrate the report with charts, infographics, info-boxes, etc. To the extent that is possible and convenient for ensuring the quality of the deliverables, Oceana branding guidelines will be followed.

4. DURATION AND COORDINATION

The contract/s would be preferably signed by the early November 2021. THE CONSULTANT would be required to provide the agreed deliverables electronically by no later than December 31^st.

Detailed instructions, ongoing guidance and feedback will be provided to THE CONSULTANT by the contact person at Oceana. THE CONSULTANT will communicate on a regular basis about the progress of the report drafting and participate in meetings and/or videocalls.

Oceana will have full permission to use or share any information included in the report. Likewise, Oceana will hold all the rights to the partial or total reproduction and publication of the report. Oceana, prior notification, will hold all the rights on the decision of disclosing or not withholding /concealing the identity of THE CONSULTANT. Other contractual details will be provided and agreed with THE CONSULTANT once the candidate is selected.

5. CONSULTANCY PROPOSAL AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

THE CONSULTANT who wishes to participate in this call for tender is asked to draft and submit a proposal to Oceana by October 22^nd, 2021. The submitted proposal should include an outline of the work to be conducted by THE CONSULTANT, a calendar of the workplan, a price list quoted in EUR (tax excluded), and a payment schedule. The proposal should clearly reflect the scope of the analysis, deliverables, and experience of the staff involved in the consultancy, which together with the budget will be the main criteria used to assess and select the proposal. Oceana can be contacted for any required guidance (jlopez@oceana.org).