Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Search for missing Kiribati fishermen scaled back

Posted at 01:55 on 27 November, 2012 UTC

Kiribati search and rescue officials are asking local fishermen and shipping operators to keep an eye out for three men who have now been lost at sea for five days.

The men went missing south of Tarawa on Thursday last week.

They were in a six metre boat with an outboard motor.

Earlier this week a New Zealand Air Force Orion spent two days searching a wide area but it has since returned to New Zealand.

Kiribati’s director of Marine Ruoikabuti Tioon says they have asked vessels in the vicinity, local fishermen and Air Kiribati to keep a lookout.