Assessment of Arctic Char in Darnley Bay, Northwest Territories

The contract pertains to the Assessment of Arctic Char in Darnley Bay, Northwest Territories, under solicitation number 30008055, issued by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Government of Canada, through an Advanced Contract Award Notice. The primary objective is to collect catch and biological data from three key locations—the east channel of the Hornaday River, Lasard Creek, and Tippi in western Darnley Bay—to evaluate the population status of Arctic char and to investigate the biologically distinct "Blue char" variant observed at Tippi. The work must be conducted during specific windows in 2026, with field operations spanning from mid-July to late August across the three sites, requiring one monitor and one assistant per fishing day. All data must be recorded using standardized DFO data sheets for Weather, Catch-Effort, Length-weight Only, and Dead-Sample, and biological samples including otoliths, fin clips, stomachs, muscle, and gill arches must be collected and preserved according to strict protocols, with frozen samples maintained at sub-zero temperatures until delivery. All deliverables—including mid-term and final reports, completed field records, and physical samples—are to be submitted to the DFO Project Authority in Inuvik no later than October 15, 2026, with otoliths and fin clips due within two weeks of fieldwork completion. The contract mandates that the supplier must meet four mandatory pass/fail criteria: demonstrated familiarity with Arctic char fisheries in Darnley Bay, over ten years of experience working directly with local harvesters in the region, extensive boat navigation experience within 50 km of Paulatuk, and a decade-plus track record in collecting fisheries data including catch rates and biological sampling. The procurement is subject to the Inuvialuit Final Agreement and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, and is structured as a set-aside with a pre-identified supplier—the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee—unless another entity submits a qualifying statement of capabilities by the June 23, 2026 deadline. The contractor is responsible for providing all equipment, including boats, tents, sleeping gear, outdoor clothing, and transportation for team members, and must secure Workers Compensation Coverage for all personnel. Ownership of any intellectual property generated under the contract resides with Canada, and the contract has an estimated value of $111,000 per year, with a base period through June 30, 2027, and a