A £5m plan to remove all hedgehogs from the Uists over 10 years is being proposed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
Twelve years ago the agency outraged many, by embarking on a cull of the animals to protect the internationally important populations of wading birds in North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist.
But it was later established that they could be successfully relocated to the mainland.
A total of 2254 were removed, one way or another, between 2003 and 2014. The total cost of the wader projects has been £2.27m, but there are still estimated to be around 4000.
Recent research has also shown they are still predating the eggs and occasionally young chicks of the dunlin, ringed plover, redshank, snipe, lapwing and oystercatcher populations.
SNH plans that removal work would be split into two five-year phases and is seeking European backing for the project.
The SNH Board was told that if work on removal of hedgehogs stopped there was a high risk that hedgehog populations would expand particularly into North Uist, and predation on waders would increase.
Ian Ross, the SNH chairman, said:.
"The hedgehogs are a non-native invasive species introduced by man in the 1970s and are now having an extremely damaging impact on nest sites, predating on eggs and chicks.
"The Board was asked for its support in principle to develop an EU LIFE funding bid with a view to starting removal work in 2017 if this is successful. We will now develop a detailed project proposal aimed at removal of the introduced hedgehogs. We and our partners are committed to removal of the hedgehogs which are trapped safely and humanely, and removed from the Uists to the mainland."
Hedgehogs were first introduced to Western Isles in 1974 when seven were released around Daliburgh in South Uist to eat garden slugs.
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