Dr. Jenny Deakin:

We have a role under the water framework directive to conduct the national monitoring programmes, which we do in accordance with the directive in line with what every other member state does so our information is comparable to other member states. It is set out very clearly in the directive how we monitor waters and how we assess their ecological status. We look at a combination of water sample information and also the living things in the water. In the Blackwater, for example, we have 166 ecological monitoring stations and 66 chemistry sampling stations.