The purpose of this request is to solicit proposals from vendors of fisheries electronic measuring systems. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), For-Hire At-Sea Observer Survey is a longrunning fisheries dependent program that collects specific, complex data on fishing catch and effort in the field. The goals of this program include capturing highly specific fishery data, recording all discards and discard conditions, and assessing the factors that influence fishing mortality. Data collected includes livefish lengths, fish condition metrics, tagging information, angler fishing times, gear information, location information, and trip level data. Currently, data is collected manually using pencil and paper and wooden meter boards and then entered post-trip into a database. The entire data collection, review, and finalization process currently takes 6-12 months. Project managers have identified the need to convert to electronic measuring and data collection systems that can be used on-board fishing vessels to collect these data in real-time, saving time, reducing supply costs, reducing human error, and streamlining data collection to deliver across partners. Other Gulf States currently use electronic measuring systems to collect similar data successfully, serving as proof of concept. FWC is seeking an electronic measuring system that includes electronic measuring boards, all needed hardware such as a tablet and power source, and an accompanying software that can be used in the field to collect a highly specific, complex multi-level dataset through a customizable and easy-to-use interface
