Published date: 15 January 2020

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Closing: 4 February 2020

Contract summary

Industry

  • Technical analysis or consultancy services - 71621000

Location of contract

Any region

Value of contract

£50,000

Procurement reference

tender_227933/828974

Published date

15 January 2020

Closing date

4 February 2020

Contract start date

18 February 2020

Contract end date

29 May 2020

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (below threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements below the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

Defra and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) would like to better understand the practicalities of using Unmanned Aerial vehicle (UAV) technology for the purposes of fisheries control and enforcement. A desk-based exercise is required to collate and assess the work ongoing within UK Government and in the private sector with regard to the use of UAV technology and how this could be applied to fisheries control and enforcement.

Developments in areas such as UAV technology have been assessed as being able to complement existing control and enforcement methods. UAV technology can be used in both the detection of activity at sea and as a potential deterrence of illegal behaviour. In UK waters currently maritime surveillance is primarily carried out using manned fixed winged aircraft to complement satellite monitoring. This is primarily to record sightings of smaller fishing vessels under the 12 metre requirement for satellite monitoring, record sightings of vessels in marine protected areas, detecting foreign vessels inside territorial waters, scallop vessels fishing inside 12nm with too many dredges aside, combating illegal fish discarding and detecting marine licensing offences. Directed and covert surveillance, when used in an appropriate, proportionate and controlled manner is highly effective at identifying and targeting high risk activity and is an efficient use of resource to determine offences beyond reasonable doubt for the purposes of criminal prosecution. The use of UAV technology has been assessed as being able to greatly enhance the MMO's ability to detect and deter illegal activity.

We are keen to understand which existing projects or areas of work where UAV technology is being trialled or currently used that has applicability to fisheries control and enforcement. For example, in instances where a UAV is being trialled or used in rough weather conditions, the outputs from this usage would indicate under what conditions UAVs may be used in fisheries control and enforcement. In recent years commercially run small UAV units have been deployed by the MMO for Marine Licensing surveillance and enforcement.

More information

Additional text

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About the buyer

Address

Kings Pool, 1 - 2 Peasholme Green
York
YO1 7PX
England

Email

mark.chamberlain@defra.gov.uk