Activists express hope Chen will save the birds

According to statistics from the Central Election Commission (中央選舉委員會), 41.9 percent of voters in Meinung chose the DPP's Chen, who claimed in public several times that he was against the project, while 47.7 percent in Neimen and 44.4 in Liukwui voted for him.

"Although people are looking forward to seeing big moves from the new administration, I suspect that he will still face pressure from certain developers with close ties to the DPP," Yang said.

"However, we hope wiser opinions will be provided by recent-resigned Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲)," said Yang.

Lee has been tipped by the party to become Chen's premier, and Yang said many environmentalists voted for Chen because they respected Lee's scientific background.

"Not until the government starts to consider environmental issues on a scientific level will there be a better environment for Taiwanese people," Yang said.