Position Title:  NMFS SWR Technical Services Project Manager

Agency / Location:  Contract position for MRAG Americas, Inc. Location negotiable, but with a preference for southern California; the position will not be located at a NMFS facility.

Responsibilities:  MRAG requires a Project Manager who can perform the following responsibilities:

1. The project manager would serve as the MRAG representative for operations of the overall project.
   1. The project manager would have primary responsibility to prepare proposals for Task Orders issued by the government, in consultation with MRAG’s partners.
   2. The project manager would have primary responsibility for overseeing each Task Order issued, including interactions with MRAG (or partner) employees; interactions with NMFS supervisors or project leaders; and conferring with senior managers of MRAG and partners to assure successful completion of all Task Orders.
   3. The project manager would, as required, travel to NMFS Southwest Regional facilities.
2. The project manager would have responsibilities for assisting MRAG senior management in developing business activities.
   1. The project manager would lead development of proposal, contacts with potential team members for proposal, and efficient management of subsequent contracts.
   2. Maintain internal (MRAG) and external communications regarding project status, accomplishments, impediments, and reporting as necessary.

Qualifications:  Bachelor degree in mathematics, statistics, engineering, computer sciences, physiology, molecular biology, genetics, systematics, oceanography, fishery biology, ecology, or a related field; advanced degree preferred. Candidates must have a minimum of five years of progressively more responsible experience in project management in a science environment. Candidates must have (1) experience working in mathematics, statistics, engineering, computer sciences, physiology, molecular biology, genetics, systematics, oceanography, fishery biology, ecology, or a related field; (2) experience supervising staff and addressing personnel issues; (3) experience with management of multiple projects simultaneously; (4) experience working for or with NMFS (or similar scientific agency); and (5) experience preparing proposals for various types of projects. Must be a U.S. citizen or have a current U.S. Work Visa.

Salary:  Commensurate with qualifications and experience; full benefits package included.

Closing Date:  24 February 2012. Preference given to individuals who submit resumes by 17 January, 2012.

Contact: Please e-mail cover letter and CV to Bob Trumble: mrag.americas@mragamericas.com.

MRAG Americas and a University of Washington-led team of experts recently completed the first part of a two-phase project to develop a durable and pragmatic methodology for monitoring and evaluating performance of U.S. catch share programs, with an emphasis on the Pacific Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program and the Northeast Multispecies Sector Program.

Background: Effectiveness of the catch share management strategy is of interest to stakeholders, policy makers, communities and managers. U.S. Catch Share Policy calls for periodic evaluation of catch share program elements, and the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires a 5-year review of such programs. Development of indicators that would inform evaluation is occurring in fishery support organizations, academia, NOAA science centers and in the NGO community. Indicator development is occurring in social, economic, financial, administrative, ecological, and legal issue areas.

Problem Statement:  Catch share programs have not always articulated precise goals and objectives or have listed conflicting goals and objectives. Basic management requirements, such as the National Standards or goals of an FMP, may not be expressly described in catch share program documents. Indicators that reflect available data sets or existing monitoring programs may not include indicators that answer key questions for which no data is collected, actions are not monitored, or where data gaps occur. In order to design a methodology that provides a picture of sufficient scope to describe effectiveness of the catch share management tool, it is necessary to elicit questions and develop indicators that respond to concerns broader than those of program participants.

Two technical workshops were conducted in February 2011 in Portsmouth, NH, Portland, OR, to contribute to the development of the methodology and indicators for evaluating the two catch shares programs of interest.

The executive summary from the completed Phase 1 work is now available. MRAG is presently developing a proposal for the Phase 2 evaluation work. Download the executive summary.

The workshop reports are also available for download.

Portsmouth, NH Report

Portland, OR Report 

MRAG Americas provides highly qualified contract employees to the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources in Silver Spring, MD.  The mission and overall goal of the Office of Protected Resources (OPR) is to manage and conserve protected resources including marine mammals, sea turtles, and other Endangered Species Act (ESA) species and species of concern under the jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries).  The Permits, Conservation and Education Division (Permits Division), OPR, issues scientific research permits and incidental take authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and ESA to allow takes of such species for selected Federal activities that would otherwise be inconsistent with both statutes.  The Endangered Species Division, OPR, conducts interagency consultation of Federal activities pursuant to the ESA and issues biological opinions on those Federal activities.   The goal of this national-level program is to issue permits and authorizations that help protect, conserve, recover, and manage the populations of protected species populations; and that provide effective protection to these species that may be adversely affected by some human activities while allowing such activities to proceed in a manner that is sustainable for the affected species.

MRAG has been contracted by the NMFS, Southeast Fisheries Science Center to perform the following tasks:

1. Assemble and summarize materials describing existing fisheries and development of, current management, current data collection systems and deficiencies and preferred stock assessment methods. Detail as necessary by territory (US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico) and by federal vs territorial specificity.  The majority of the background information for this TOR will be derived from existing documents including SEFSC, SEDAR reports, territorial reports, and Council reports.
2. Summarize preferred assessment methods, and identify assessment and management data needs for each major fishery management unit.  Background information from recent SEDAR assessment evaluations will be used to summarize preferred assessment methods.
3. Identify and characterize an optimal data collection system including the minimal elements to collect, which if implemented would provide sound information for long term stock assessment analyses and subsequent management needs.  Identify and characterize alternative data collection system which if implemented could result in significant short term improvements in stock assessment data
4. Identify and quantify minimal costs associated with the preferred data collection system which if implemented would result in sound data collection. Include potential costs for implementing alternative systems which if implemented could result in short term improvements to current system.

These tasks are being accomplished via a series of three workshops held in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Croix, and incorporating the input from scientists, managers and fishermen alike.

MRAG Americas will be providing research and analysis on specific aspects of catch shares design including monitoring, recreational fisheries and fishing and fisheries related employment to inform EDF, NOAA and key stakeholders.

Best Practices for Catch Shares Monitoring

In order to help NOAA further their Catch Share Policy, MRAG Americas and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) will provide research and analysis aimed to develop a policy paper on best practices for monitoring catch share programs, and a technical white paper on the practical implementation of these best practices, focused on current and future technology.   

Design of Catch Shares Design Manual Chapter for Employment and Communities

MRAG and EDF aim to understand how catch shares impact fishing and fisheries-related employment, including fishing jobs on vessels and in shoreside industries, i.e. processing, fishing services, etc. MRAG will develop guidance for catch share decision makers to understand implications of design elements. 

Recreational Fisheries Catch Shares Design Manual Chapter for Charter Boats

MRAG will assist EDF in understanding how catch shares might work for the recreational charter boat fleets of the US.

The report, Catch Shares in New England: Key Questions and Lessons Learned from Existing Programs, was a collaborative effort produced by MRAG Americas and Meridian Institute. Meridian Institute is a non-profit organization devoted to bringing collaborative decision making tools to society’s most challenging problems. The report includes an analysis of key issues and questions related to catch shares in New England and case studies of existing catch shares programs in the United States and internationally from which lessons for New England can be drawn. It is intended to contribute to the body of information decision makers and stakeholders will consider when deciding whether catch shares are appropriate for particular New England fisheries, and if so, what design elements and lessons learned might be drawn from existing programs.

To download the report, visit our publications page.