Refurbishment of Helmsdale Fish Counter

1.1 The Scottish Ministers invites tenders for the design, purchase and installation of

replacement fish counter system on an existing weir on the River Helmsdale by Torrish Lodge, KW8 6HU.

The existing fish counter on the River Helmsdale is run as a joint endeavour between the Helmsdale District Salmon Fishery Board and the Marine Directorate. The facility was built (ca.1990) by the Board and is run locally by them whilst Marine Directorate’s role is to contribute technical expertise, some maintenance costs and to undertake the data processing required to produce a validated fish count for use in local, national and international assessments of salmon stocks. National stock assessments are statutory requirements on Scottish Ministers and Scottish Government are committed to working internationally to manage North Atlantic salmon stocks through ICES and NASCO.

The existing facility no longer produces data of an acceptable quality for use in stock assessments. Our investigations have revealed that the site is undercounting fish, particularly in higher flows which is when most fish ascend the river. Advice has been obtained from an expert company and their opinion was that the issue is due to the installed equipment being beyond the end of its working life requiring replacement.

SPD will be scored on a pass/fail basis.

Question scoring methodology for Award Criteria outlined in Invitation to Tender.

0 - Unacceptable. Nil or inadequate response. Fails to demonstrate an ability to meet the requirement.

1 - Poor. Response is partially relevant but generally poor. The response addresses some elements of the requirement but contains insufficient/limited detail or explanation to demonstrate how the requirement will be fulfilled.

2 - Acceptable. Response is relevant and acceptable. The response addresses a broad understanding of the requirement but may lack details on how the requirement will be fulfilled in certain areas.

3 - Good. Response is relevant and good. The response is sufficiently detailed to demonstrate a good understanding and provides details on how the requirements will be fulfilled.

4 - Excellent. Response is completely relevant and excellent overall. The response is comprehensive, unambiguous and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the requirement and provides details of how the requirement will be met in full.