Helping Close the Detection Gap

AquaWatch continuous water quality monitoring comes to the Munster Blackwater

In February 2026, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre published its independent report into the largest recorded fish kill in Irish history. More than 40,000 fish died across a 30km stretch of the Munster Blackwater in August 2025. The suspected cause, an unidentified waterborne irritant, had dissipated before it could be measured. The investigation found nothing conclusive. No source. No evidence.

The JRC gave that problem a name: the detection gap.

Its report called for continuous real-time monitoring on Ireland's major rivers, as a concrete recommendation to prevent the same outcome the next time something enters a catchment.

We've been working with Inland Fisheries Ireland for a few years now, supporting their continuous monitoring work across both their research and operational teams. Our work started with IFI's research team as our first deployments outside of NZ, making sure that the data was defensible, and building our team in Europe and the UK. Our partnershipw with IFI is now growing into operational deployments where the data can help informs real field decisions in real time.

This week, a new Water Quality Assessor (WaQA) went live in the Munster Blackwater itself following another deployed in Cork earlier this year.

Sean Long, Director of IFI's South-Western Region, shared the news on LinkedIn:

"Water levels finally dropped enough to facilitate the successful deployment of our first instream Water Quality Monitor Float and Link in the Munster Blackwater catchment this week. The floating monitor, known as a WaQa, uses sensors to record pH, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and temperature data. This data will build to provide a comprehensive picture of the river's water quality and help identify any sudden or gradual changes."

That sentence - identify any sudden or gradual changes - is exactly what the detection gap is about. The ability to see something happening in the river before it has dissipated. Before the window closes.

IFI are doing a great deal of work to restore and protect the Blackwater, habitat surveys, genetic studies, stakeholder engagement, inter-agency coordination. Continuous monitoring is one small part of that effort.

We're glad to play a part in it, and proud to see the network growing year on year with IFI's operational team.

Thanks to Sean, Andrew, Michael, James, and the wider IFI team for their continued trust and collaboration.