Pacific

Pacific canoes protest climate change in Newcastle

19:45 pm on 17 October 2014

One of the Pacific Island organisers of a climate change protest on Australia's Newcastle Harbour says they have got support from hundreds of people for their action today.

Calling themselves the Pacific Climate Warriors, 30 islanders using traditional canoes have been joined by hundreds of Australians in an attempt to disrupt shipping on the world's biggest coal port.

Photo: supplied

Milan Loeak, the daughter of the Marshall Islands President Christopher Loeak, says her islands are already feeling the impacts of climate change.

She says they regard the protest as a success and the local backing is significant.

"They are out here to support us and I think they have an understanding now of what we have been going through in the islands from the impacts of climate change and I think this action today is creating a really good environment here with everybody working together and supporting one another. So I think we have impacted people here in Australia in a good way."