ALMOST £100,000 will be spent in a bid to rid a Scottish island of “invasive” hedgehogs.
A total of £97,840 was allocated from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund to a project which will look to move every hedgehog currently on Benbecula, in Uist in the Outer Hebrides, to the mainland.
Hedgehogs were introduced to Uist over 50 years ago to control garden pests but have led to “unexpected consequences”, the RSPB said. This includes the predation of ground-nesting birds who have since seen “severe declines”, including the Dunlin, Common Ringed Plover, Common Redshank, Common Snipe, Northern Lapwing, Oystercatcher, and Little Tern.
The predation of nests by hedgehogs is a significant and removable conservation threat to the island’s breeding birds, the RSPB said.
The initiative to move them all to the mainland is part of the wider Saving Uist Nature project, a three-way venture between RSPB Scotland, NatureScot, and Scottish SPCA.
It is intended that tests of a “world-first for invasive species removal” on Benbecula will scale up to South Uist.
Kenna Chisholm, North Highland and the Hebrides area manager for RSPB Scotland, said: “This project is responding to a unique situation where a species of conservation concern that is native to the UK mainland is invasive on Uist, and its presence has led to declines in important bird populations.
“Taking action is critical to protect remarkable wildlife here in Uist and ensure the best possible outcomes for the hedgehogs which will be relocated and the mainland population.
“We know nature is in serious trouble across Scotland and it is vital we take action to protect native wildlife. We now have a vital boost for development of this pioneering new approach which will allow us to respond to the urgent conservation needs of both hedgehogs and birds alike.”
“Tackling the impacts of invasive non-native species is a key priority of Scotland’s new biodiversity strategy and this funding will allow Saving Uist Nature to step up its vital work to provide the help that ground-nesting birds and other native wildlife in Uist desperately need.
“Projects such as this are complex and need careful planning and preparation to be successful. The next stage will focus on how we can secure these benefits for native wildlife while ensuring that no harm comes to the hedgehogs that are moved or the mainland population they will join.”
