Australian police are carrying out a sea search after reports a boat carrying 43 people went missing during an attempt to cross from the Indonesian province of Papua.
Coastwatch is searching the Torres Strait region for the 25-metre boat.
Sergeant Chris Bristow of the Far North Queensland police communications centre in Cairns says the Customs service is considering sending a helicopter.
The convenor of the Australian West Papuan Association, Louise Byrne, says the association got a phone call from Merauke early on Friday morning to say the boat had left.
Ms Byrne then alerted authorities.
Ms Byrne said some of the 39 adults on board were related to separatist activists.
