The Gulf Council has issued a Request for Proposals for a qualified contractor to conduct an in-depth review of the regulatory processes that other U.S. regional fishery management councils (regional management councils) are using to improve the timeliness of incorporating new scientific information into the development and implementation of federal fishing regulations consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and other applicable laws.

The Gulf Council aims to identify opportunities to streamline regulatory processes and build the capacity to respond more rapidly to updated scientific information as Gulf fisheries continue to face challenges from a changing environment. The contractor will be tasked with considering unconventional and streamlined regulatory processes from other regions, including conducting an assessment of the data streams required and potential trade-offs between efficiency and transparency. The contractor will also be asked to identify mechanisms that meet the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable laws, such as National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), that could be applied to Gulf fisheries to build efficiency into the practice of making regulatory changes.

This project should be completed by December 1, 2025 and $148,000 is available to fund the work.

The Request for Proposals including the full scope of work

can be found here.

Proposals Submission Deadline: 11:59 pm on June 6, 2025

Contact us at regulatory.contractor@gulfcouncil.org with questions.

About The Gulf Council

The Gulf Council is one of eight regional Fishery Management Councils established by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans, which are designed to manage fishery resources within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of America.