The Kiribati government is being heavily criticised by the public for failing to report the boat missing a week after it was scheduled to arrive in the capital Tarawa from the island of Nonouti.
For the last four days a New Zealand P3 Orion has been searching an area of ocean larger than 300,000 square kilometres.
Seven survivors were rescued on January 28 and the search continues for a life raft that was launched from the sinking ferry.
