Surfing is due to be held at Teahupo'o on the island of Tahiti at next year's Olympic Games, around 15,000 kilometres away from the main host city of Paris.

However, preparations have been marred by mounting opposition to an aluminium judging tower to replace the existing wooden structure used for World Surf League Tahiti Pro events, with more than 100,000 signing a petition and residents taking part in a protest march in which they expressed concerns over the environmental impact of the plans.

Paris 2024 has said the new tower is required for safety issues, and it is open to discussions on ways to reduce the environmental impact of the project.

Brotherson took over as French Polynesia President in May this year, succeeding Édouard Fritch who was in office when the International Olympic Committee approved Tahiti as the host for surfing at Paris 2024 back in 2020.

With the row over plans for Teahupo'o escalating, Brotherson has weighed in with an interview for French newspaper L'Équipe.

He admitted he understands the concerns of protestors.

"I had a reaction of solidarity," Brotherson said.

"I have no ill feelings towards the organisers of this march and this petition.

"I understand their concerns, I myself am very attached to safeguarding our environmental and cultural heritage.

"But what I want is for us to remain at a level of rational discourse."

The French overseas country's President said he would have preferred Taharuu Beach to be used for surfing at Paris 2024 instead of Teahupo'o, but it was too late to change.

"We would have done it completely differently," Brotherson claimed.

"We would first have looked for all the ways to reuse what already exists.

"And we might not have offered the same spot.

"When we came to power, we said that there was a much more suitable site for the Olympics, the Taharuu Beach spot in Papara.

"It is perhaps less spectacular and less mythical than Teahupo'o.

"But it's a beach break and it has existing infrastructure, there was no need to build anything.

"In terms of organisation, it was much easier.

"And the wave seemed more suitable to us, it is more reasonable even in bad weather unlike the 'monster' Teahupo'o, and it is more constant.

"We were told that it was impossible to change the site otherwise it would call into question the selection of Tahiti as organiser of the surfing events."

Brotherson added it is in "the country's interest that this surfing event takes place here", but "we cannot hold these Games against the population".

He vowed to engage with the protestors, and said options being explored include an assessment by a task force on whether the existing wooden tower could be brought up to the required safety standards and meet technical requirements for the Olympics.