In Samoa, a major ocean search operation has been mounted for a fishing boat which has been missing since last Tuesday.
The Samoa Police patrol boat Nafanua sailed on Friday to coordinate the search with a number of local fishing boats.
The Commissioner of Police and Prisons, Papali'i Lorenese Neru, says the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington has provided an Orion P3 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft to assist in the search .
The Kathryn J, a 45 ft long line fishing vessel, left Apia last Sunday afternoon with six crew members.
The vessel is equipped with a modern Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon but this has not been activated.
The boat is owned by Apia Export Fish Packers and was last heard from last Tuesday evening.
