Request for Proposals: Fisheries Management Process Review

Posted June 2, 2025

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) is seeking a contractor to review its fishery management processes and develop strategic recommendations to enhance responsiveness and adaptability to dynamic fisheries and ecosystems. The SAFMC management process follows common steps and involves requirements set forth in the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other requirements according to Executive Orders and applicable laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. This project aims to operationalize recommendations and priority action items developed through the East Coast Scenario Planning initiative to review these processes and develop strategies to increase adaptability and nimbleness in federal fisheries management processes. Project outcomes are expected to improve the SAFMC’s ability to address environmental changes and uncertainties, contributing to more resilient South Atlantic fisheries.

The contractor will review the SAFMC’s management processes for developing federal fisheries regulations, identify areas for improvement, and recommend changes to expedite the fishery management process. The project is expected to begin in July 2025 and to be completed by December 2026. The contractor will present the final report to the SAFMC in March 2027.

Key objectives include:

• Identifying bottlenecks in current management processes, policies, and practices.
• Evaluating committee structures and comparing operations with other regional councils.
• Incorporating risk policies to account for increasing uncertainties.
• Developing strategic recommendations for management process changes.

The successful candidate(s) should have experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders, a background in marine or environmental science, extensive knowledge of relevant laws and executive orders, and demonstrated experience conducting internal program reviews.