FISH HABITAT Solutions
Alicia Kennedy
Julian Wicksteed
Alicia and Julian specialise in fisheries biology and habitat restoration. They strive to ensure the long-term viability of native fish populations, and look forward to hearing from you with your concerns and aspirations for the water in your area.
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• Dr Alicia Kennedy has over 20 years experience working with industries, governments and communities to improve catchment and waterway health.
With a technical background in freshwater and marine water quality and 15 years of policy and community engagement experience, Alicia is sought after to work with partners and communities to implement lasting catchment and industry solutions that improve natural ecosystems and deliver multiple benefits to land holders and communities.
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Alicia currently works with the Queensland and Australian agriculture industry to enhance water and energy innovation, efficiency and long-term sustainability of the agriculture sector. Alicia previously worked for 15 years leading State and Local Government policies and programs to deliver catchment and waterway management solutions to urban, coastal and rural communities in NSW and Queensland. Alicia also held her own consultancy delivering technical services to source national and international drinking water catchments.
Alicia holds a PhD (Environmental Engineering) from the University of Western Australia, where she worked with Kwinana industries to understand and mitigate the impacts of contaminated groundwater in the Cockburn Sound marine environment. Her BSc (Aquatic Science with Honours) was completed at Deakin University Warrnambool, where she immersed herself in learning about the science of waterways from within South-West Victoria’s spectacular beaches, rivers, and lake landscapes. Alicia grew up in Ararat, a pastural town of Western Victoria, where she enjoyed an outdoors lifestyle: fishing, camping, swimming and hiking in regional Victoria and Australia.
• Julian Wicksteed is a seasoned traveller, angler, and author. He holds a BSc (Fisheries Management and Aquaculture), has served in the Australian Airforce for four years, and is a qualified high school science and geography teacher with 6 years of teaching experience in the UK and Australia.
Having travelled in over a hundred countries and lived in six, there aren't many corners of the globe he hasn't travelled, surfed, and fished in; and subsequently written books about.
With his background in fisheries science, education, literature, photography, and commercial fishing, he brings a wealth of qualifications and practical knowledge to providing first-hand experience on what fish need in order to thrive.
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Julian Wicksteed's written and photographic work can be found via a Google search, or his website: www.anglerwalkabout.com
Our Values
​​The chosen career and life paths of Fish Habitat Solutions founders, Alicia and Julian, has taken them to various corners of Australia, and the globe. It has seen them dedicate their lives to encouraging awareness, adaptability, and sustainability, that will improve fresh and marine water management. In some parts of the world, they have seen this done effectively, and in many others, not so. In their life’s work to date, they have witnessed the rapid decline of water quality and fish populations, and sadly, Australian waterways are not immune.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Studying and documenting the deterioration of waterways due to population growth and past land management practices, Alicia and Julian are dedicated to improving the future for fish and their habitat – thus offering far reaching benefits to land managers and communities.
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What We Do
Regardless of your way of life, your electorate, industry, or even your neighbourhood, we want to work with you to ensure that the fish in your ‘backyard’ are still going to be there for your grandchildren’s children.
Whether on a one-off, or ongoing basis, we achieve this goal by offering the following expertise:
Services
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· Site assessment: Scientific evaluation of waterbody health and an assessment of likely ecosystem relationships (or lack thereof) between: fish, predators, prey, and surrounding flora and fauna.
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· Predator Prey stock density: Food chain evaluation of fish and prey density per unit measure within a waterway. Restocking recommendations, if needed.
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· Hydro-chemical analysis: Chemical assessment throughout your waterway, including: heavy metals, PH, salinity, temperature, nutrients, turbidity, plastics/pollution.​​
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· Water resource management: Working with dams, water supply, and reservoir managers to improve ecosystem services, while enhancing operational and environmental performance, through ecological repair, water quality management, and fish habitat solutions.​
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· Invasive species analysis: A study of invasive species, whether fish, and/or flora and fauna, and its impact on native fish. Recommendations on how to deal with it.​
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· · Habitat recommendations: Appraisals of your waterway offering land management solutions that will improve water flow, limit soil loss, and further enhance fish health.​
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· Education and information resources: Factsheet, pamphlet, poster, and presentation material preparation. Fish Habitat Solutions presentations: at schools, universities, and workplaces, discussing freshwater and marine ecosystems; how interlinked they are, and how we can all take action to individually improve waterway health and the livelihood of fish. ​
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· Community/landholder engagement:​Listening, co-designing solutions, and working together in collaborations and partnerships. We invite land managers, governments and communities to let us join you and help you rehabilitate and preserve your vital waterways.
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Please, contact us and let’s see what great things we can do together, today!