I refer to the report "Hedgehogs are back on island despite cull" (The Herald, February 18) and wish to clarify there is no additional money for hedgehog trapping as part of the Uist Wader Research project.

At its meeting on February 14, the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) board agreed to maintain existing trapping levels with flexibility for this to be redeployed from Benbecula to North Uist if necessary. The board further agreed that any additional funding for the project was a matter for SNH management, but that it should at this stage be used for research purposes rather than trapping.

Andrew Bachell,

Operations Director, Scottish Natural Heritage, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness.