Tribal FishCo Purchasing & Processing Fish, Providing Ice

Tribal Fish Co Purchasing & Processing Fish, Providing Ice

NOTE:

This RFQ is for Tribal Fish Co, an independent enterprise of the Yakama, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Nez Perce tribes. It is neither owned nor governed by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. This RFQ is posted here as a courtesy to Tribal Fish Co.

Tribal Fish Co LLC (Fish Co) is owned and operated by the four Columbia River treaty tribes including the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, and the Nez Perce Tribe. As outlined in greater detail below, Fish Co is soliciting quotations from prospective contractors to purchase and process fish (head & gut only) and to produce and provide ice to tribal fishers on Fish Co’s behalf at its fish processing plant located near White Salmon, WA.

Fish Co and the selected Contractor will enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for a one-year term, with an opportunity for the parties to mutually agree to extend the MOA for additional one-year terms thereafter. The Contractor will be responsible for providing capital (cash and equipment) to staff operations at the plant. The MOA will establish the conditions by which Fish Co and the Contractor will coordinate with one another and the services the Contractor will provide to Fish Co for the 2025 fall commercial fishing season and seasons during any subsequent terms of renewal.

Pursuant to the MOA, the Contractor will be authorized to purchase fish on-site from members of the four Columbia River Treaty Tribes at market pricing levels and also to process this fish (head & gut only) for market. Activities to be conducted under the MOA may include: equipment maintenance, ice production, fish buying, certain fish processing activities, product development, marketing, branding, distribution, and training of members of the four Columbia River Treaty Tribes employed by Fish Co in processing, with the objective of developing Fish Co employees’ abilities so that Fish Co may operate and maintain the plant in future years.

The Contractor will be expressly prohibited from dumping any fish solid waste materials (e.g., head, guts) into the premises’ stormwater and sewer system or anywhere on or near the premises and will be responsible for disposal of such waste materials off-site. The Contractor will be responsible for any fees or fines resulting from the disposal of waste or wastewater not in accordance with these responsibilities.

The Contractor will be required to have a HACCP plan in place to guide the processing of fish.

Fish Co estimates fall 2025 harvests at approximately the levels indicated in the table below. These estimates are based on modeled catches under typical fishing patterns and recent average weights. Actual harvest will depend on actual run sizes, and not all fishers are expected to need ice from Fish Co as some other buyers provide ice.

To help Fish Co carry out its ISDEAA scope of work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs for operation and maintenance of the fish plant; to increase the economic benefits of treaty Indian fisheries by providing tribes and tribal fishers with access to a tribally operated fish operation where they pick up ice, sell their catch, have fish processed, and market products through the branding of tribally caught salmon;

and to train members of the four Columbia River Treaty Tribes employed by Fish Co in operations and maintenance activities, including processing, product development, marketing, branding, and distribution.

• Producing ice and making it available for tribal fishers Mondays through Thursdays from 9am to 5pm, and Fridays from 9am to noon, or other agreed upon schedule. Tribal fishers shall not be required to sell fish to the Contractor in order to receive (or purchase) ice.
• Providing all staffing and coordination necessary to produce and provide (sell) ice, and to purchase and process fish.
• Providing ice to tribal fishers of the four treaty tribes, regardless of whether they sell fish to the Contractor. Contractor shall record all ice…