Hundreds of climate activists 'occupied' the port of Newcastle, Australia, by canoeing and swimming to disrupt the coal trade, halting ship traffic at the world's largest coal port for two days. A total of 109 activists were detained as they gathered to protest the lack of action on climate change. Rising Tide, which organized the action, reported that they prevented more than half a million tons of coal from leaving the country. Australia is the world's second largest coal exporter and meets its electricity needs from fossil fuels. The port of Newcastle, about 170 kilometers from Sydney, is the most important port for the country's coal shipments.